GoTo Telemed, the nation's leading integrated telehealth ecosystem serving over 10 million patients nationwide, today announced the launch of its dedicated Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program, a comprehensive virtual care service designed to address the full spectrum of plaque psoriasis presentations through evidence-based diagnosis, personalized treatment planning, and ongoing management support. Delivered by a network of board-certified dermatologists and advanced practice providers, this program brings expert care to the estimated 8 million Americans living with this chronic inflammatory condition .

Plaque psoriasis, the most common form of the disease, affects approximately 80 to 90 percent of people living with psoriasis . The condition is characterized by raised, inflamed, and scaly patches of skin that may also be itchy and painful. On Caucasian skin, plaques typically appear as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells or scale. On skin of color, the plaques may appear darker and thicker and more of a purple or grayish color or darker brown .

The global burden of psoriasis continues to rise, with the number of people living with the condition nearly doubling from 1990 to 2021, reaching 43 million cases globally, with 5.1 million new cases diagnosed in 2021 alone . The economic burden of psoriasis in 2021 reached $148.85 billion, including $95.15 billion in healthcare costs and $53.70 billion in productivity losses .

"Psoriasis extends far beyond the skin—it is a systemic inflammatory disease that significantly impacts patients' physical health, mental wellbeing, and quality of life," said a GoTo Telemed spokesperson. "Our Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program brings board-certified dermatology expertise directly to patients through telehealth, eliminating geographic barriers and long wait times. Whether a patient is newly diagnosed or seeking to optimize their long-term management, we provide accurate diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and continuous support that helps them achieve lasting control over their condition."

Comprehensive Clinical Services for Plaque Psoriasis Management

GoTo Telemed's Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program addresses the full spectrum of patient needs through specialized clinical pathways aligned with current evidence-based guidelines:

Service Component Description and Clinical Applications
Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation Detailed clinical assessment to diagnose plaque psoriasis and distinguish it from other skin conditions. Diagnosis is based on appearance of the skin (thick, raised plaques or fine scaling), location of psoriasis (common areas include scalp, knees, elbows, and torso), presence of itch, and when necessary, skin biopsy .
Personalized Treatment Planning Evidence-based treatment selection based on disease severity, location, and patient preferences. Treatment options include over-the-counter products (including those with NPF's Seal of Recognition), topicals (including steroids), phototherapy, oral systemics, and biologic therapy .
Phototherapy Coordination For appropriate candidates, coordination of UVB phototherapy treatment, which can be administered in a health care provider's office, a clinic, or at home with a phototherapy unit. Phototherapy involves exposing the skin to ultraviolet light on a regular basis and under medical supervision, with the key to success being consistency .
Biologic Therapy Management Comprehensive oversight for patients on or considering biologic therapy, including coordination with in-network specialists. Biologic agents target key inflammatory cytokines critical to psoriasis pathogenesis and have proven effective in controlling cutaneous inflammation .
Comorbidities Screening and Management Systematic screening for associated conditions including psoriatic arthritis (affecting up to 30% of psoriasis patients), cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression . Patients with psoriasis are at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease due to chronic systemic inflammation and a high burden of cardiometabolic comorbidities .
Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Evidence-based cardiovascular risk screening at diagnosis, particularly for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis (PASI >10%) or those requiring biologic therapy. This includes screening for hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, obesity, and metabolic syndrome .
Lifestyle and Wellness Counseling Personalized guidance on trigger management, including stress reduction, tobacco and alcohol cessation, weight management, and dietary modifications. Studies show smoking is an independent risk factor for the development of psoriasis and can negatively influence treatment response .
Innovative Technology-Enhanced Remote Monitoring

The program leverages cutting-edge digital health tools to enhance patient outcomes and enable continuous disease tracking between visits:

Psorcast-Inspired Remote Monitoring: Building on validated research from NYU Langone Health, the program incorporates digital assessment tools that enable patients to track their psoriasis status remotely. Studies demonstrate that app-based assessments can achieve significant clinical validity when compared to in-person determinations by rheumatologists and dermatologists specializing in psoriatic disease .

Remote Body Surface Area Assessment: Patients can use mobile illustration tools to measure percent body surface area impacted by psoriasis. Research shows this approach can achieve a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.94 compared with physician-assessed body surface area .

Photographic Lesion Tracking: Patients capture images of psoriatic lesions to track their status over time, including whether and how lesions respond to treatment. Measurements made by physicians studying these photos match up fairly well with in-person physical exams, with concordance correlation coefficients of 0.72 for erythema, 0.72 for induration, and 0.60 for scaling .

Machine Learning-Enhanced Nail Assessment: The platform can capture images of a patient's hands and use machine learning models to detect nail psoriasis. When compared to in-person exams, photo-trained machine learning models have demonstrated ability to identify clinically diagnosed nail psoriasis with an accuracy of 0.76 .

Functional Mobility Assessment: For patients at risk of psoriatic arthritis, the program incorporates motion data to assess for joint tenderness and inflammation, including evaluation of upper extremity range of motion and gait symmetry .

Evidence-Based Remote Care Model

The program is supported by robust evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of telehealth for psoriasis management:

A systematic review published in Acta Dermato-Venereologica found that telemedicine does not appear to be inferior compared with in-person care for patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases, particularly in terms of condition severity and quality of life .

The International Psoriasis Council has endorsed teledermatology as a feasible alternative to in-person visits for psoriasis care .

Research demonstrates that remote monitoring in specialist care produces significant improvements in quality of life outcomes for psoriasis patients. A study comparing remote monitoring across care levels found that patients receiving specialist care were 3.91 times more likely to achieve clinically significant improvement in Dermatology Life Quality Index scores compared with those in primary care .

Addressing the Full Disease Burden: Beyond Skin Clearance

The program recognizes that effective psoriasis management extends far beyond treating skin symptoms:

Cardiometabolic Risk Management: Patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of dyslipidaemia, typically with a pro-atherogenic lipid profile, insulin resistance, and higher burden of diabetes . In one study, 37.1% of patients had elevated triglycerides, 25% had elevated LDL-C, and 50% had reduced HDL-C at baseline, while 52.6% had an elevated HbA1c . Despite this, only 24% of patients with PsO eligible for a statin for primary prevention are taking them .

The PPACMAN consensus recommends earlier and more aggressive use of statin therapy in patients with psoriasis, recognizing that the ACC/AHA guideline on primary prevention of CVD acknowledges PsO as a risk enhancer warranting earlier initiation of statins .

Mental Health Support: Approximately 20% of psoriasis patients experience depression as of 2023, compared to 5% of the general population . The program integrates behavioral health support to address the profound psychological impact of living with a chronic visible condition.

Quality of Life Optimization: Following one year of persistent risankizumab treatment, patients with psoriasis saw substantial improvements in fatigue, pain, itch, quality-of-life, and activity impairment . Of patients receiving apremilast for five to seven months, 81% achieved PASI 75 .

Program Structure and Delivery

The Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program is delivered through a flexible, patient-centered framework:

Comprehensive Initial Assessment: New patients undergo thorough evaluation including detailed clinical history, symptom characterization, assessment of disease severity using validated tools, and screening for associated comorbidities including psoriatic arthritis.

Personalized Treatment Planning: Based on comprehensive assessment, providers develop individualized treatment plans incorporating evidence-based options including topicals, phototherapy coordination, oral systemics, and biologic therapy when indicated.

Remote Monitoring and Follow-Up: Regular virtual check-ins with integrated digital assessment tools enable continuous tracking of disease status, early identification of flares, and timely treatment adjustments.

Integrated Care Coordination: The program facilitates seamless collaboration with primary care providers for management of cardiovascular risk factors and with rheumatologists when psoriatic arthritis is suspected or confirmed.

Patient Education and Self-Management: Patients receive access to educational resources on trigger identification, medication adherence, lifestyle modifications, and warning signs requiring attention.

Integration Within GoTo Telemed's Comprehensive Ecosystem

The Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program operates as a fully integrated component of GoTo Telemed's unified telehealth platform:

Unified Health Record: All consultation documentation, treatment plans, and remote monitoring data are incorporated into the patient's lifetime electronic health record, accessible to all authorized providers across medical and specialty care.

Seamless Care Coordination: When patients require in-person procedures such as skin biopsy, phototherapy initiation, or coordination with rheumatology for psoriatic arthritis, the platform facilitates warm handoffs to GoTo Telemed's network of affiliated specialists.

Digital Imaging and Tracking Tools: Patients access validated tools for capturing and submitting standardized skin images through GoTo Telemed's secure patient portal and mobile application, enabling objective tracking of treatment response over time.

Prescribing and Pharmacy Integration: Prescriptions for topical and systemic therapies are transmitted electronically to patient-selected pharmacies, with automated refill reminders supporting adherence.

Cardiovascular Risk Tracking: The platform includes tools for tracking blood pressure, lipid levels, HbA1c, and other cardiovascular risk markers, with automated alerts for values outside target ranges.

A Transformative Opportunity for Dermatology Providers

For board-certified dermatologists and advanced practice providers specializing in medical dermatology, GoTo Telemed's Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program offers a meaningful practice opportunity:

Focus on Meaningful Work: Providers dedicate their practice to a condition with profound impact on patients' quality of life, physical health, and mental wellbeing, experiencing the satisfaction of improving outcomes that matter deeply to patients.

Flexible Practice Model: Clinicians maintain complete autonomy over their schedules, practicing as little or as much as desired while serving a nationwide population of patients seeking psoriasis expertise.

Complete Practice Support: GoTo Telemed provides full malpractice insurance coverage, comprehensive billing and coding support for dermatology services, and immediate access to a growing population of patients seeking psoriasis management.

Professional Independence: Providers build their practice within GoTo Telemed's supportive ecosystem while maintaining clinical autonomy and professional decision-making authority.

No Administrative Burden: The platform handles all credentialing, scheduling, billing, and documentation, allowing clinicians to focus entirely on clinical care and patient relationships.

Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance

The Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program operates within GoTo Telemed's rigorous compliance framework:

State-Specific Licensure Management: Verification of active, unrestricted licenses in all states where care is delivered, with support for interstate licensure compacts

Dermatology Clinical Guidelines: Adherence to American Academy of Dermatology, National Psoriasis Foundation, and international evidence-based guidelines for psoriasis diagnosis and management

Cardiovascular Risk Screening Protocols: Implementation of PPACMAN consensus recommendations for CV risk assessment and management in psoriatic disease

Quality Monitoring: Ongoing peer review, competency assessments, and patient outcome tracking ensuring maintenance of highest care standards

HIPAA-Compliant Infrastructure: Enterprise-grade encryption, access controls, and regular third-party security audits ensuring complete protection of patient health information

Availability and Partnerships

GoTo Telemed's Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Program is available immediately to patients nationwide through the GoTo Telemed platform and mobile application. Patients may enroll directly or be referred by their primary care provider or other health professional.

Board-certified dermatologists and advanced practice providers interested in joining GoTo Telemed's provider network are invited to apply through the company's credentialing portal.

GoTo Telemed is actively forming strategic partnerships with:

Dermatology practices seeking to expand virtual service offerings

Primary care networks managing psoriasis across large populations

Rheumatology practices for coordinated psoriatic arthritis care

Health plans and Medicare Advantage organizations

Employer wellness programs and employee assistance programs

Clinical research organizations conducting psoriasis outcomes studies

Media Contact:
GoTo Telemed Media Relations
[email protected]
(660) 628-1660
www.gototelemed.com