The Atopic Dermatitis Shared Decision-Making Tool: Implementing the AHEAD Approach in Clinical Practice.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Clinical Practice
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is underutilized in current atopic dermatitis (AD) management guidelines.
• There is a need for practical tools to integrate SDM into routine clinical practice for AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a practical tool for implementing the Aiming High in Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis (AHEAD) SDM approach.
• To enhance SDM in the clinical management of atopic dermatitis.

Main Methods:

• An international expert dermatologist group drafted the initial tool.
• Global patient input was gathered through research studies and an advisory board of patient advocacy group leaders.

Main Results:

• The developed AD SDM tool is a practical resource for implementing the AHEAD SDM approach.
• It allows patients to prioritize symptoms and clinicians to tailor treatments accordingly.
• The tool aims to improve patient communication of disease burden, treatment adherence, and care continuity.

Conclusions:

• The AD SDM tool offers a straightforward method for integrating SDM into clinical practice.
• Consolidating routine outcome measures can simplify data collection and interpretation.
• Future feedback will assess the tool's practical value in clinical settings.