HS Resource Center
UCB and MyHealthTeam
Contact Person:
Elizabeth Luce, SVP of Partnerships and Partner Operations
elizabeth@myhealthteam.com
Increasingly, Medical Affairs teams are innovating their approach to engaging patients and empowering people to better manage their chronic health conditions. One example is the work UCB and MyHealthTeam are doing to support people living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), an immunological skin disease characterized by deep inflammatory nodules and recurring abscesses that typically appear in specific areas of the body (e.g., in the armpits, buttocks, genital area).
Patient research conducted by the Medical Affairs team at UCB and myHSteam, the patient social network for people diagnosed with HS, revealed HS’ impact on quality of life. Of 221 myHSteam members surveyed:
- 88% said they are “uncomfortable with the idea of intimacy.”
- 87% said they feel “stressed, anxious, or depressed.”
- 75% reported that the disease “makes it hard to do everyday activities.”
To address these challenges and empower people living with HS to have more effective conversations with their doctors, myHSteam and UCB launched the HS Resource Center—featuring medically approved content integrated within myHSteam. Resources included: “What Is Hidradenitis Suppurativa,” a primer on the condition that helps members better identify and understand symptoms; “Quiz: Is this Acne, HS, or Something Else,” an interactive quiz that can help determine whether someone should consult a dermatologist about their symptoms; and “Is Your Doctor an HS Expert,” designed to empower patients to better engage with their HCP and accelerate the average time to diagnosis, which is 10 years from initial symptom onset.
The response from the community has been resoundingly positive, with 64% of people reporting they “plan to talk with a doctor” after reading these resources—reflecting the importance of accessible, trusted information in inspiring action.
