Atopic Dermatitis Disease Education

Clinical and sociodemographic features and quality of life in patients with atopic dermatitis who attended dermatology teaching clinics in Medellín, Antioquia and its metropolitan area

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a cutaneous, inflammatory, chronic disease, very frequent in the world and it imposes a high clinical and quality of life impact in patients. To date there are no local studies describing the general features in our population. Objective: To evaluate the socio demographic, clinical and life quality features in patients with atopic dermatitis from Medellín city and its metropolitan area. Materials and methods: cross sectional, descriptive study, that included patients who attended some teaching dermatological clinics. Data collection included sociodemographic and clinical features in addition to clinical issues and quality of life measurements. Results: A total of 13 patients were included. 36,3% manifested a sleeping disturbance, 38,1% attention deficit; 44,2% reported asthma in the childhood. EASI and SCORAD scores were 6,9 and 32,4, respectively, which indicates a mild-moderate compromise. Regarding quality of Life, Skindex-29 showed average scores for the symptomatic, emotional and functional dominions of 37,7, 25,09 and 16,9, respectively, and a total score of 24,78. In EQ-5D scores, the most altered component was the presence of pain or discomfort (17,6%) and the presence of anxiety or depression (12,1%), which enhances the symptomatic and emotional impact of the disease. Conclusion: These results confirm that patients with atopic dermatitis present similar features to those reported in other studies from different countries, highlighting the burden of the disease in adults and its impact in neuropsychiatric and emotional domains.

Methods to Engage Patients in the Modern Clinic

OBJECTIVE

To identify current patient and provider engagement methods that utilize technology in allergy and immunology clinics, hospitals and at home.

DATA SOURCES

Apple App Store and Google searches for allergy and immunology technology apps, PubMed search of literature involving keywords of: website, technology, EMR, medical devices, disparity in technology, coding for remote patient monitoring and artificial intelligence.

STUDY SELECTIONS

Studies that addressed the keywords were included and narrowed down based upon their applicability in the allergy and immunology clinic.

RESULTS

There has been rapid innovation in the digital healthcare space with expansion of EMR services and the patient portal, creation of allergy and immunology specific medical devices and apps with remote patient monitoring capabilities, and website and artificial intelligence development to interact with patients.

CONCLUSION

These technological advances provide distinct advantages to the provider and patient, but also have a burden of time for evaluation of the data for the provider and disparate access to certain technologies for patients. The development of these technologies has been fast-tracked since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the explosion in telehealth and medical device development, advancement of medical technology is not showing any signs of slowing down. It is paving a new way to interact with patients in the future.

Unmet needs in atopic dermatitis management: an expert consensus

INTRODUCTION

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has substantial negative impact on patients' quality of life. Although considerable advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis and its treatment, there is still limited transfer of this knowledge into daily management. Aiming to identify unmet needs in clinical management of patients with AD, we used a Delphi consensus process.

METHODS

A set of statements regarding diagnosis, management, prognosis, and treatment was identified by five experts (Steering Committee). Then, the Steering Committee and a second group of four clinicians were involved in a Delphi process. Lastly, agreement was assessed in a larger panel of Italian clinicians.

RESULTS

Overall, 37 clinicians participated to the process. 17 statements reached strong agreement and 2 reached weak agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, the statements reflected the need for accurate and effective diagnostic criteria to support clinical experience, especially in the atypical forms of AD. Moreover, prognostic criteria are needed to predict the duration of adult-onset AD. The identification of biomarkers was considered to be useful for clinical management of AD at all stages of disease. Lastly, greater emphasis should be placed on patient education and development of effective tools that can aid informing patients about their disease and its treatment.

Parental knowledge of moisturizers and their application to infants with eczema in Hangzhou, China

Parental knowledge regarding the role of moisturizers in restoring the skin barrier, as well as regular and long-term use of moisturizers, is critical in the treatment of infantile eczema and the prevention of relapse.The parents of children with eczema were enrolled in this study. Their knowledge of the role, use, and effect of moisturizers on their children, as well as their concerns regarding moisturizers were surveyed.A total of 350 parents were enrolled in this study. Two hundred fifty-two parents (72%) knew that eczema requires moisturizers to restore the skin barrier. Among these 252 parents, 175 parents (50.0%) knew that moisturizers can restore the skin barrier. Only 27 parents (27/175, 15.4%) of them knew that moisturizers can improve eczema. Overall, 69.4% used moisturizers; of these, 75.3% used only moisturizers on the face, 87.2% on dry areas of face and other body parts, and only 6.6% on the entire body. Furthermore, 13.2% used topical moisturizers in the long-term; 62.6% used moisturizers 1 to 2 times per day, while 5.4% used moisturizers once every few days. A total of 80.7% discontinued moisturizers immediately after improvement in dryness, and 75.3% reported skin dryness despite moisturizer usage. Among parents of children who used moisturizers, 16.5% were worried about the side effects of moisturizers.Despite a fair level of knowledge about moisturizers, parents of children with eczema are using them inadequately. Pediatrician should be more patient to educate parents the information on the importance of moisturizers for the improvement of eczema and prevention of recurrence.

Current Status of Patient Education in the Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Korea

Patient education is important for successful management of atopic dermatitis; however, due to limited time and resources, patient education remains insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the current state of education provided by Korean dermatologists, pediatric allergists, and allergists to patients with atopic dermatitis. A questionnaire survey consisting of items regarding educational programs for patients with atopic dermatitis was conducted via e-mail. In total, 153 participants responded to the questionnaires, and 26.8% indicated that they have had separate educational programs. The workforce involved in the educational program included nurses, residents or fellows, dieticians, pharmacists, and clinical psychologists. Most education protocols addressed the characteristics and natural course of atopic dermatitis and environmental management. Overall, 96.7% of the participants replied that an additional charge is needed for education; moreover, additional assistance from an academic society or association, in the form of medical staff, organized data, and advertisement, is required to develop and provide a well-structured educational program. A standardized education protocol will effectively provide appropriate education for patients with atopic dermatitis. Arrangement of education fees, covered by the National Health Insurance Service, will lead to the establishment of a structured educational program and participation of an additional medical workforce.