April W. Armstrong, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. April Armstrong is Director of the Clinical Research Unit and Teledermatology Program at the Department of Dermatology. Dr. Armstrong completed training at Harvard Dermatology Residency Program and Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Armstrong’s clinical expertise lies in psoriasis. She is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for psoriasis patients and making available to them the latest treatment options. Dr. Armstrong receives referrals from colleagues for patients with severe psoriasis and enjoys caring for these patients. Dr. Armstrong is also recognized internationally for her efforts in telehealth. She utilizes telehealth technology to provide dermatology consultations to remote communities and underserved populations. Dr. Armstrong cares for underserved patients from all corners of California through real-time, videoconferencing teledermatology and store-and-forward teledermatology. Dr. Armstrong is actively engaged in clinical research on telehealth and chronic inflammatory conditions, primarily psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. She believes that good clinical practice needs to be rooted in evidence-based medicine, and rigorous research forms the foundation for innovations in dermatology. Dr. Armstrong’s research in psoriasis and telehealth is published regularly in peer-reviewed medical journals. Dr. Armstrong’s research is supported by the Dermatology Foundation, National Psoriasis Foundation, California Healthcare Foundation, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Institute of Health.

Title: Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Director of Clinical Research Unit, Director of Teledermatology

Board Certification: American Board of Dermatology

Professional Interests: Outcomes research, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis

Undergraduate Education: Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, Biochemistry and Communication, B.A. with honors

Medical Education: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, M.D.

Post-Graduate Education: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, M.P.H.

Internship: Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, Internal Medicine

Residency: Harvard Dermatology Residency Program, Boston, Massachusetts

Professional Memberships:
American Academy of Dermatology
American Telemedicine Association
Society of Investigative Dermatology
National Psoriasis Foundation

Research Focus

Dr. Armstrong is committed to health outcomes research in telehealth and chronic inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. She is interested in examining ways by which new therapies and healthcare models improve patients’ disease states, quality of life, and their access to medical care. She conducts rigorous clinical studies that test new, technology-enabled models of healthcare delivery aimed at increasing patient access to specialty care. Dr. Armstrong has led multiple investigator-initiated studies that use health information technology to improve outcomes in dermatology patients.

Dr. Armstrong’s research in psoriasis focuses on understanding comorbid conditions in psoriasis patients and how to adopt a multidisciplinary, wholistic approach to caring for psoriasis patients. Dr. Armstrong is also interested in comparative effectiveness research with an emphasis on investigating effective and safe use of systemic therapies for psoriasis patients.

Selected Publications

Armstrong AW, Lin SW, Chambers CJ, Sockolov ME, Chin DL. Psoriasis and hypertension severity: results from a case-control study. PLoS One. 2011 Mar 29;6(3).

Armstrong AW, Voyles SV, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Rutledge JC. A tale of two plaques: convergent mechanisms of T-cell-mediated inflammation in psoriasis and atherosclerosis. Exp Dermatol. 2011 Jul;20(7):544-9.

Armstrong AW, Voyles SV, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Rutledge JC. Angiogenesis and oxidative stress: Common mechanisms linking psoriasis with atherosclerosis. J Dermatol Sci. 2011 Jul;63(1):1-9.

Rehal B, Armstrong AW. Health outcome measures in atopic dermatitis: a systematic review of trends in disease severity and quality-of-life instruments 1985-2010. PLoS One. 2011 Apr 13;6(4).

Armstrong AW, Kim RH, Idriss N, Larsson L, Lio PA. Online video improves clinical outcomes in adults with atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 Mar;64(3):502-7.

Daly M, Alikhan A, Armstrong AW. Combination Systemic Therapies in Psoriatic Arthritis. J Dermatolog Treat. 2010 Jul 28.

Armstrong AW, Idriss NZ, Kim RH. Effects of video-based, online education on behavioral and knowledge outcomes in sunscreen use: a randomized controlled trial. Patient Educ Couns. 2011 May;83(2):273-7.

Armstrong AW, Alikhan A, Cheng LS, Schupp C, Kurlinkus C, Eisen DB. Portable video media for presenting informed consent and wound care instructions for skin biopsies: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2010 Nov;163(5):1014-9.

Armstrong AW, Sanders C, Farbstein AD, Wu GZ, Lin SW, Lui FT, Nesbitt TS. Evaluation and comparison of store-and-forward teledermatology applications. Telemed J E Health. 2010 May;16 (4): 424-38.

Armstrong AW, Watson AJ, Kazanis M, Frangos JE, Kimball AB, Kvedar JC. Text-Message Reminders Improve Sunscreen Use: A Randomized, Controlled Trial Using Electronic Monitoring. Arch Derm, Arch Dermatol. 2009 Nov;145 (11): 1230-6.

Armstrong AW, Idriss N, Bergman H. Physician Workforce for Acne Care in the United States 2003 through 2005, Arch Dermatol. 2009 Oct;145(10):1195-6.

Armstrong AW, Dorer D, Lugn N, Kvedar JC. Economic evaluation of interactive teledermatology compared with conventional care. Telemedicine and e-Health, 2007; 13(2): 91-9.

Gatto C, Wang AX (Armstrong AW), Kaplan JH. The M4M5 cytoplasmic loop of the Na,K-ATPase, overexpressed in E. Coli, binds nucleoside triphospate with the same selectivity as the intact native protein. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1998; 273: 10578-10585.

Books

Golan DE, Tashjian AH, Armstrong EJ, Galanter JM, Armstrong AW, Arnaout RA, Rose HS. Eds. Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy, 1st Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 2005.

Golan DE, Tashjian AH, Armstrong EJ, Armstrong AW. Eds. Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy, 2nd Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 2008.

To schedule an appointment and to see if Dr. April W. Armstrong is accepting new patients please call: (916) 734-6111.