About eight in 10 psoriasis patients who use health care social networks say they do so primarily to learn how others manage their disease, and get practical tips and advice they couldn’t find elsewhere, according to a survey conducted by the National Psoriasis Foundation, Manhattan Research and Inspire, a company that builds and manages online patient communities.

The millions of people with psoriasis, including the one million visitors toTalkPsoriasis in 2012, are not alone in their use of social media for health. A 2011 Pew Research Center study found that one in four Internet users living with a chronic ailment have gone online to find others with similar health concerns.

Psoriasis is a chronic, genetic disease of the immune system that causes the skin to crack, itch and bleed, affecting roughly 7.5 million Americans. It is the most common autoimmune disease in the country.

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