Quality of health care of atopic eczema in Germany: results of the national health care study AtopicHealth

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quality of health care of atopic eczema in Germany: results of the national health care study AtopicHealth

AU - Langenbruch, A

AU - Radtke, M

AU - Franzke, N

AU - Ring, J

AU - Foelster-Holst, R

AU - Augustin, M

N1 - © 2013 The Authors Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2013 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

PY - 2014/6/1

Y1 - 2014/6/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: The successful treatment of atopic eczema (AE) should result in the improvement of both physical symptoms and patient's quality of life (QoL). This study was conducted using a sample of dermatologists throughout Germany. This is due to dermatologists being the main health care providers of AE.OBJECTIVES: Obtaining reliable data on quality of care of AE from both the patient's and the physician's perspective.METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed: the individual clinical history; dermatology-specific QoL (DLQI); state of health (EQ-5d-VAS); treatments; burden caused by disease and treatment; patient-defined treatment benefit (PBI).RESULTS: Data from 1678 adult patients (60.5% female, mean age: 38.4 ± 15.9) were analysed. The most frequently used treatments during the last five years were emollients (90.4%) and topical corticosteroids (85.5%). In this study, 75.8% of the patients felt only moderately or not at all impaired by their treatment. The mean DLQI (0 = minimum-30 = maximum QoL impairment) was 8.5 ± 6.5. The EQ-5d-VAS (100 = best possible) was 63.6 ± 22.0 on average. 26.6% reported suffering 'often' or 'every night' from sleeplessness due to severe itching. Mean PBI was 2.4 ± 1.1 (4 = maximum benefit).CONCLUSIONS: This study provides first data on the health care of adults with AE in Germany at a national level and reveals the need for a more effective care. Whereas most patients consider their treatment-related burden as low, the daily burden of the disease seems to be high: one third reports sleeplessness due to itching which indicates insufficient therapeutic regimes in these cases. A better implementation of the German national guideline for AE and a systematic analysis of the difficulties causing its limited effects is needed.

AB - BACKGROUND: The successful treatment of atopic eczema (AE) should result in the improvement of both physical symptoms and patient's quality of life (QoL). This study was conducted using a sample of dermatologists throughout Germany. This is due to dermatologists being the main health care providers of AE.OBJECTIVES: Obtaining reliable data on quality of care of AE from both the patient's and the physician's perspective.METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed: the individual clinical history; dermatology-specific QoL (DLQI); state of health (EQ-5d-VAS); treatments; burden caused by disease and treatment; patient-defined treatment benefit (PBI).RESULTS: Data from 1678 adult patients (60.5% female, mean age: 38.4 ± 15.9) were analysed. The most frequently used treatments during the last five years were emollients (90.4%) and topical corticosteroids (85.5%). In this study, 75.8% of the patients felt only moderately or not at all impaired by their treatment. The mean DLQI (0 = minimum-30 = maximum QoL impairment) was 8.5 ± 6.5. The EQ-5d-VAS (100 = best possible) was 63.6 ± 22.0 on average. 26.6% reported suffering 'often' or 'every night' from sleeplessness due to severe itching. Mean PBI was 2.4 ± 1.1 (4 = maximum benefit).CONCLUSIONS: This study provides first data on the health care of adults with AE in Germany at a national level and reveals the need for a more effective care. Whereas most patients consider their treatment-related burden as low, the daily burden of the disease seems to be high: one third reports sleeplessness due to itching which indicates insufficient therapeutic regimes in these cases. A better implementation of the German national guideline for AE and a systematic analysis of the difficulties causing its limited effects is needed.

U2 - 10.1111/jdv.12154

DO - 10.1111/jdv.12154

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 23560545

VL - 28

SP - 719

EP - 726

JO - J EUR ACAD DERMATOL

JF - J EUR ACAD DERMATOL

SN - 0926-9959

IS - 6

ER -