Quality of health care of atopic eczema in Germany: results of the national health care study AtopicHealth
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Quality of health care of atopic eczema in Germany: results of the national health care study AtopicHealth. / Langenbruch, A; Radtke, M; Franzke, N; Ring, J; Foelster-Holst, R; Augustin, M.
In: J EUR ACAD DERMATOL, Vol. 28, No. 6, 01.06.2014, p. 719-26.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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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 -