Psoriatic Arthritis Screening Tool for Providers

Early diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) leads to better long-term health. Patients who wait even as little as six months before getting diagnosed and starting treatment may have worse clinical outcomes.

As a health care provider, it’s up to you to ensure your patients get the care they need as quickly as possible. In the absence of a diagnostic test for PsA, the best thing to do is screen and refer to a specialist.

The Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool, or PEST, is a validated screening tool that can help you recognize signs of PsA in your psoriasis patients*. Patients answer five questions and fill out a diagram. If patients check “yes” to three or more of the questions, they may have PsA. You should speak with them about their symptoms, their options and possibly refer them to a rheumatologist.

The following resources can help you get started talking to your patients about PsA.

Patient Appointment Resource Document

Give the PEST to your patients. We encourage you to download the printable PDF, including the five-question quiz and diagram, and provide it to your psoriasis patients as part of their pre-appointment paperwork.

Download the Screening Tool.

FAQs for Providers

Make sure you can offer your patients the information they need. See the questions patients most frequently ask about PsA.

Get the facts

The PsA Diagnosis Project

Learn about NPF’s research push to fund and develop an early diagnostic test for PsA. See how you can help and what this will mean for your patients.

Learn more about the PsA Diagnosos Project

* Ibrahim, G. H., et al. “Evaluation of an existing screening tool for psoriatic arthritis in people with psoriasis and the development of a new instrument: the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST) questionnaire.” Clinical & Experimental Rheumatology 27.3 (2009): 469.