Patient-reported burden in adults with atopic dermatitis: an international qualitative study

Abstract

The objective was to study a large, international, ethnically diverse population of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) to support the creation of patient-centric recommendations for AD management. Qualitative data were generated from 45-min, 1:1 telephone interviews conducted across 15 countries in each patient’s native language. Interviews explored the impact of AD on patients’ lives, patients’ most important symptoms, treatment expectations, and treatment decision-making. Participants were also questioned on their current knowledge of AD scoring systems and what was most important to include in these tools. In total, 88 adult patients (≥ 18 years old) receiving treatment for AD were recruited through a market research database, clinician referrals, and local advertising. All patients were screened to ensure a balanced and diverse sample in terms of age, gender, educational level, employment status, geographic location, and AD severity. Patients involved in market research or activities supporting advocacy groups within the previous 6 months or affiliated with or employed by pharmaceutical companies were excluded. AD had a substantial impact on patients’ lives. Itch, skin redness, and dry/flaky skin were the most frequently reported symptoms, with > 75% of patients experiencing these symptoms every 1–3 days. Mental health issues were common and resulted in the greatest negative impact on patients’ daily lives. Patients perceived clinicians to underestimate the burden of their AD. Patients had little awareness of AD scoring systems and indicated a preference for these to be more clearly incorporated in clinical practice. For an ideal scoring system, patients favored using a combination of patient-reported and clinician-reported outcomes to reflect disease burden and ensure consistency across all settings. This global study generated diverse patient perspectives on the disease burden of AD, their expectations of treatment, and their views on AD scoring methods. These data provide evidence to support the development of patient-centric recommendations for AD management.