Implementing Best Practices for AD Can Benefit Patients, Providers

New research shows that the implementation of global best practices for atopic dermatitis (AD) can positively impact various aspects of the health care system, including both the patient and the provider.

“With increasing awareness of this substantial burden, AD has become a priority for health care systems,” wrote Emma Guttman, MD, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote.

To understand and describe best practices for addressing the various challenges that impact AD management, researchers utilized the Atopic Dermatitis Quality of Care (ADQoC) Initiative.

“The Initiative carried out a literature review and surveyed 32 expert care centers, catalogued findings, and analyzed and elucidated global challenges to AD care along with good practice implementations that can address them,” the research team explained.

According to the findings, the researchers found that the four challenges to quality care for AD include:

• misconceptions about AD;
• delayed referral and access to AD specialists;
• poor patient access to AD treatments and poor adherence to medications; and
• managing the complexity of atopic dermatitis and its comorbidities.

The following good practice implementations were identified by the Initiative as high priority for any AD care center to focus:

• clinical assessment and diagnosis;
• a structured multidisciplinary care team;
• monitoring and evaluating care quality;
• patient education and communication; and
• collaboration and exchange with patient groups.

These various implementations identified can be beneficial for patients, health care providers, and the health care system.

“They directly contribute to the efficacy of treatment; improved healthcare provider efficiency; improved education; and improved costs to health care systems,” the researchers concluded.

Reference:
Guttman E, Nosbaum A, Simpson E, Weidinger S. Pioneering global best practices in atopic dermatitis: Results from the atopic dermatitis quality of care initiative [published online ahead of print, 2021 Aug 11]. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2021;10.1111/ced.14880. doi:10.1111/ced.14880