An Online Questionnaire Improves Outcomes for Children With Atopic Eczema

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pediatric Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Atopic dermatitis (AD) management is complex, requiring extensive patient education on triggers and treatments.
• Limited specialist access often leads parents to seek online resources for eczema management guidance.
• Parents of children with AD require accessible support for effective disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if an online eczema triggers questionnaire improves child eczema severity (SCORAD) before specialist appointments.
• To determine if the questionnaire reduces the need for specialist appointments through improved eczema management.
• To evaluate the impact of pre-appointment online questionnaires on healthcare resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving families awaiting pediatric AD specialist appointments.
• Intervention group received an online eczema triggers questionnaire; control group followed standard booking.
• Sample size calculated for 100 participants (50 per group) to detect a 10-point SCORAD difference.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed a trend towards lower mean SCORAD scores (21.4 vs. 25.2), though not statistically significant (p=0.195).
• A statistically significant reduction in booked appointments was observed in the intervention group (28% fewer, p=0.003).
• Analysis of completers versus non-completers revealed a more pronounced SCORAD reduction (-8.4, p=0.010) in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• The online eczema triggers questionnaire effectively supports AD management in primary care, providing timely advice.
• Questionnaire completion correlated with reduced AD severity and a decreased need for follow-up specialist appointments.
• This intervention enhances child and family well-being while potentially lowering long-term demand for specialist eczema care.