Challenges for Synthesising Data in a Network of Registries for Systemic Psoriasis Therapies

Background: Large disease registries are the preferred method to assess long-term treatment safety. If psoriasis registries collaborate in a network, their power to assess safety is increased. Objective: To identify heterogeneity in psoriasis registries and methodological challenges for synthesising the data they provide. Methods: We surveyed the registries in PSONET and identified and addressed the challenges to collaborative analysis for the network in several round table meetings. Results: Eight out of 10 registries had a prospective comparator cohort with similar disease characteristics but not on biologics. Registries differed in the coding and validation or follow-up of adverse events and in the way they sampled their population. Fifteen challenges to registries collaborating were identified in the areas of operational governance, structural conduct, bias and analysis. Conclusions: Participation in PSONET, a network of psoriasis registries, helps identify and solve common issues, enhancing the individual registries, and provides larger sets of more powerful safety data in a diverse population. Challenges to interpreting data collectively include heterogeneity in sampling, variable penetration of biologics and compatibility of different datasets. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel