Introduction of a Specific Dermatological Rehabilitation Programme for Patients with Chronic Pruritus: A Pilot Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Introduction of a Specific Dermatological Rehabilitation Programme for Patients with Chronic Pruritus: A Pilot Study

AU - Von Martial, Sophia

AU - Kok, Lisa

AU - Gründel, Sonja

AU - Augustin, Matthias

AU - Blome, Christine

AU - Zeidler, Claudia

AU - Steinbrink, Kerstin

AU - Ständer, Sonja

AU - Tsianakas, Athanasios

PY - 2022/12/7

Y1 - 2022/12/7

N2 - Chronic pruritus is a common symptom, associated with several severe medical conditions, great psychological burden, and reduced quality of life. It also poses socio-economic challenges concerning patients' work loss and healthcare costs. In Germany, medical rehabilitation programmes represent an integral part of the medical care of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases. However, such programmes play only a rudimentary role in the treatment of other dermatological diseases, such as dermatological oncology, genetic skin diseases, and chronic pruritus. Therefore, a specific antipruritic dermatological rehabilitation programme was developed in cooperation between the Department of Dermatology of the Medical Rehabilitation Center Bad Bentheim and the Center for Chronic Pruritus of the University Hospital of Muenster, Germany. This prospective study compared short-term patient-reported outcomes (n = 121) at the beginning and end of the rehabilitation programme. The majority of subjects had chronic pruritus on primary diseased, inflamed skin. Significant improvements in pruritus intensity (p ≤ 0.001), quality of life (p ≤ 0.001), anxiety symptoms (p ≤ 0.001) and depression (p ≤ 0.001), as well as an overall patient-relevant benefit (Patient Benefit Index 2.6 ± 1.06) and treatment-related patients' satisfaction, were shown. This suggests that implementation of this standardized rehabilitation programme for treatment of patients with chronic pruritus was successful.

AB - Chronic pruritus is a common symptom, associated with several severe medical conditions, great psychological burden, and reduced quality of life. It also poses socio-economic challenges concerning patients' work loss and healthcare costs. In Germany, medical rehabilitation programmes represent an integral part of the medical care of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases. However, such programmes play only a rudimentary role in the treatment of other dermatological diseases, such as dermatological oncology, genetic skin diseases, and chronic pruritus. Therefore, a specific antipruritic dermatological rehabilitation programme was developed in cooperation between the Department of Dermatology of the Medical Rehabilitation Center Bad Bentheim and the Center for Chronic Pruritus of the University Hospital of Muenster, Germany. This prospective study compared short-term patient-reported outcomes (n = 121) at the beginning and end of the rehabilitation programme. The majority of subjects had chronic pruritus on primary diseased, inflamed skin. Significant improvements in pruritus intensity (p ≤ 0.001), quality of life (p ≤ 0.001), anxiety symptoms (p ≤ 0.001) and depression (p ≤ 0.001), as well as an overall patient-relevant benefit (Patient Benefit Index 2.6 ± 1.06) and treatment-related patients' satisfaction, were shown. This suggests that implementation of this standardized rehabilitation programme for treatment of patients with chronic pruritus was successful.

KW - Humans

KW - Pilot Projects

KW - Quality of Life

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Germany

U2 - 10.2340/actadv.v102.2930

DO - 10.2340/actadv.v102.2930

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 36317589

VL - 102

JO - ACTA DERM-VENEREOL

JF - ACTA DERM-VENEREOL

SN - 0001-5555

M1 - adv00831

ER -