From Results to Real Life: Pediatric Patch Testing
In this episode of PeDRA Pearls, Jenn Dawson speaks with Sarah Kamsiah Zemlok, MD, and Jeff Yu, MD about their PeDRA-funded research on how children and families understand patch testing results. Their conversation explores the challenges of translating results into everyday allergen avoidance, especially across home, school, daycare, and other environments. They also discuss the importance of ongoing patient education, stronger support tools, and meaningful mentorship in pediatric dermatology research. This episode highlights how patient-centered research can help families move from results to real-life care. This project was funded through a 2024 PeDRA Research Fellowship Grant, Assessment of Parent-Child Comprehension of Pediatric Patch Testing and Barriers to Improvement, and has resulted in one publication, Beyond the Grid: A Case Series of Parent-Child Comprehension of Patch Testing Results, published in Pediatric Dermatology in 2026.
Keywords: Patch Testing; Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Eczema, Patient Education
Program Guests
Virginia Commonwealth University
We gratefully acknowledge Disc Medicine for their presenting sponsorship of the PeDRA Pearls Podcast.
