Abstract
Since the 1960s, atopic dermatitis has seen a steady increase in prevalence in developed countries. Most often, the onset begins at an early age and many patients are very young children. Due to their young age, their parents are forced to take over handling of the disease. As a consequence, atopic dermatitis places a high burden not only on affected children, but also on their parents and siblings, limiting human flourishing of a whole family. Therefore, the described research area calls for a possibility-driven approach that looks beyond mere problem-solving while building on existing support possibilities and creating new ones. This paper presents atopi as a result of such a possibility-driven approach. It incorporates existing patient education and severity scoring into an extensive service, adding new elements to turn necessary practices into joyful experiences, to create feelings of relatedness and to increase perceived self-efficacy, thus is suitable to enable human flourishing.
Highlights
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease characterized by an inflammation of the skin
At the beginning, the intention was set as the following design challenge: How can very young children with atopic dermatitis best be supported in their wellbeing and human flourishing? The project can be characterized in phases with different aims, during which specific methods were applied
A five-day stay at a hospital specialized in the treatment of atopic dermatitis was chosen for immersive research combining observation with participation
Summary
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease characterized by an inflammation of the skin. In developed countries, it is estimated that every 5th child is affected [1]. We discuss and describe an approach to design in the context of chronic diseases, with the intention of providing experiences of self-efficacy [5] and enabling human flourishing through need-fulfilment [6,7], while building on knowledge necessary to manage symptoms of the chronic disease [8]. A chronic disease has specific characteristics that are best described by differentiation to acute disease. The latter is characterized by a sudden onset and often foreseeable course. Chronic diseases have no cure and require consistent management over time, forcing the patient to take over treatment and care. In this situation, medical professionals and patients are partially and reciprocally knowledgeable [8]
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