Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Mar;38(2):396-404.
doi: 10.1111/pde.14519. Epub 2021 Jan 24.

Improving patient education for atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial of a caregiver handbook

Jennifer S LeBovidge  1   2 , Karol Timmons  1 , Sophia Delano  1   2 , Kimberly F Greco  3 , Frances DeFreitas  1 , Felice Chan  1 , Tiffany Jeong  1 , Melissa Rosen  4 , Corinna Rea  2   4 , Lynda C Schneider  1   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Improving patient education for atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial of a caregiver handbook

Jennifer S LeBovidge et al. Pediatr Dermatol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Background/objectives: Patient education is important to families' ability to manage and cope with pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD). We evaluated whether an educational handbook could improve AD symptoms, caregiver confidence in AD management skills, and AD-related quality of life.

Methods: Caregivers of children with AD ages 1 month to 16 years were randomly assigned to the intervention arm (handbook in addition to standard AD management) or the control arm (standard management alone). Caregivers completed self-report outcome questionnaires prior to a clinical visit for AD and at 3-month follow-up.

Results: 175 caregivers completed questionnaires at baseline and follow-up. AD symptoms measured by the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) improved in both the handbook and control arms. However, the decrease in the mean POEM score in the handbook arm (-4.4, 95% CI [-5.8, -3.0]) did not differ from that in the control arm (-3.4, 95% CI [-4.8, -2.03]; P = .343). Change in quality of life did not differ between study arms. Among caregivers attending a new patient visit for AD, mean confidence scores (measured from 0 to 100) increased more in the handbook arm (67 [95% CI {60, 74}] to 83 [95% CI {77, 88}]) relative to the control arm (74 [95% CI {65, 82}] to 75 [95% CI {67, 83}]; P = .012). The majority of caregivers rated the handbook as helpful in managing the child's AD.

Conclusions: Despite an adequate sample size, the handbook did not improve AD symptoms more than standard management alone. The handbook improved confidence in management skills for families attending new patient visits for AD.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; child; eczema; education; parents; patient.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Shaw TE, Currie GP, Koudelka CW, Simpson EL. Eczema prevalence in the United States: data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health. J Invest Dermatol. 2011;131(1):67-73.
    1. Chamlin SL, Frieden IJ, Williams ML, Chren MM. Effects of atopic dermatitis on young American children and their families. Pediatrics. 2004;114(3):607-611.
    1. Zuberbier T, Orlow SJ, Paller AS, et al. Patient perspectives on the management of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;118(1):226-232.
    1. Yaghmaie P, Koudelka CW, Simpson EL. Mental health comorbidity in patients with atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;131(2):428-433.
    1. Sokolova A, Smith SD. Factors contributing to poor treatment outcomes in childhood atopic dermatitis. Australas J Dermatol. 2015;56(4):252-257.

Publication types

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources