PatientsLikeMe, a social networking health site, has entered into a collaboration with global pharmaceutical company Merck to evaluate the impact of psoriasis on patients and to inform a novel approach to improving outcomes.

“A broader and more human view of psoriasis will help patients and their doctors understand the true nature of the disease,” said Ben Heywood, president and co-founder of PatientsLikeMe. “We’re excited to collaborate with patients and Merck to uncover insights about the disease that may lead to better approaches for patients managing their condition day-to-day, providers creating care plans and researchers developing treatments.”

PatientsLikeMe will work directly with Merck’s clinical researchers and epidemiologists to analyze and interpret psoriasis patient-reported data.

PatientsLikeMe has an active community of psoriasis patients, where nearly 2,000 people share data and stories to reveal what it’s like to have the disease and what they do to treat it.