Study states online support can improve eczema in children and young people
A new study by researchers at the University of Nottingham has found that appropriate online support can improve eczema in children and young people.
Eczema is very common and can have a substantial impact on quality of life and costs to the NHS. Treatment can be complex and many people say that they receive insufficient or conflicting advice about how to use eczema treatments.
To tackle the problem, researchers invited young people (aged 13 to 25 years) and parents or carers of small children to test a website that was specifically designed to support self-management of eczema. The site, which is now available for anyone to use, is free from commercial influences and provides information, such as how to use eczema treatments and how to avoid potential trigger factors, based on the latest research. Users can also watch short videos or print off resources to help when discussing eczema with healthcare professionals.
This website is a fantastic resource for people with eczema and we hope that they will find it a useful addition to the care that they receive from healthcare professionals. This project was produced in partnership with people who live with eczema, and they helped us to develop the content to reflect their needs.
Kim Thomas, Professor of Applied Dermatology Research at the University of Nottingham
The results -published this week in The BMJ – show that the Eczema Care Online website not only improved peoples’ eczema within six months but it also led to sustained benefits over a whole year. The website was tested in two randomised controlled trials including over 650 people with eczema (340 parents or carers of children with eczema and 337 young people who were caring for their own eczema). People who used the website during the study were extremely positive about the experience:
IS_Eczema_
I thought I knew how to look after my child’s eczema, but I learned so many new things from Eczema Care Online – things I would have never thought of!
Trial participant
managingeczema
It was one of the best websites I’ve ever used. It was really easy to use and provided the answers to your specific questions. I didn’t have to read through lots of stuff that wasn’t relevant to me.
Trial participant
Kim Thomas, Professor of Applied Dermatology Research at the University of Nottingham co-led the research alongside Professor Miriam Santer.
Health professionals often don’t have enough time to go into all the details about how to look after eczema. We hope that this website will be rapidly rolled out within the NHS to provide effective help for eczema without causing extra workload for staff.
Professor Miriam Santer, GP and research co-lead
The University of Nottingham is a world leader in skin research – particularly in atopic eczema. Our Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology produces internationally renowned research that has a direct impact on clinical practice.
The Eczema Care Online website is freely available at www.EczemaCareOnline.org.uk. The project was funded by the NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research and a collaboration between the University of Southampton, University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, University of East Anglia and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.