Principal Investigator:
Alana McEvoy, MD – University of Ottawa
Overview:
Our group has developed and validated an illustrated eczema action plan (EAP) that uses the advantages of infographics, simple language, and multidimensional function as an educational tool, prescription, and method of communication with other healthcare professionals to improve the ability of patients and parents to manage eczema. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of the EAP on eczema severity, quality of life, and retention of key counselling points.
In this is a prospective study, in which new eczema patients are randomly assigned to receive either 1) standard verbal counselling 2) an illustrated EAP along with standard verbal counselling. Objective eczema severity at 3 months is the primary outcome (EASI). Secondary outcomes include: severity of eczema as rated by the parents/caregiver or patient (POEM and PO-SCORAD); and the patient’s quality of life with atopic dermatitis (DLQI, CLDQI, or IDQOL) as well as comprehension and recall of key information about eczema. These outcomes are evaluated at baseline, one-month, and 3 months after the initial visit.
We anticipate that the EAP will have a positive impact of the severity of the child’s eczema and the child’s QoL. We also anticipate an improvement in comprehension and recall of eczema-related information.
Status:
This study was funded as a 2018 PeDRA Pilot Grant and a manuscript is currently under review for publication.