Providing Patients and Caregivers With an Effective Eczema Care Plan

In this video, Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, discusses how dermatologists can create an effective eczema care plan that is easy to use and understand by patients and caregivers.

Dr Sidbury is associate professor, department of pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle; and chief, division of dermatology, Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Transcript
Dr Sidbury: We certainly have our little cache of handouts that are generally informational, but then also have fill-in-the-blank things, so a so-called eczema action plan that's, as you know, is a very real-life, personalized, dynamic treatment protocol that allows the parents to respond to the condition on the ground.

As you know, as family members and your own knowledge about this condition, what you're seeing in that clinic visit on that day is not necessarily what the parents are seeing at home. What the parents are seeing at home on a Monday is not necessarily what they're seeing at home on Thursday.

Having a static treatment plan is not nearly as valuable as having one that they can say, "OK." A lot of the eczema action plans are like a stoplight, green, yellow, red. "OK, green." A little bit of dry patches here and there, not really very itchy, not really having impacts on sleep. Let's just moisturize. Let's just avoid triggers. Let's just do good, foundational, basic skin care. Oh, that yellow zone? If that's how your eczema action plan is tailored. A little bit more inflammation, a little bit more itch, but not a whole let, well, here, do this blank. Fill in the blank for the face, and do this, fill in the blank, for the body. Maybe initiate some bleach baths, other sorts of adjunctive things that may be appropriate. Then, likewise, if it's quite severe and in the red zone, well, then, perhaps increase the number of times you're moisturizing. Use a stronger product that's listed there specifically for that child, so it's not too strong. It's appropriate for the location and the age, with the appropriate caveats as well. Just making sure that the parents know exactly what to do and when to do it.