Abstract
Effective atopic eczema (AE) control not only improves quality of life but may also prevent the atopic march. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) curriculum does not currently provide specific learning outcomes on AE management. We aimed to gain consensus on learning outcomes to inform curriculum development. A modified Delphi method was used with questionnaires distributed to gather the views of a range of health care professionals (HCPs) including general practitioners (GPs), dermatologists, dermatology nurses and parents of children with AE attending a dedicated paediatric dermatology clinic. Ninety-one questionnaires were distributed to 61 HCPs and 30 parents; 81 were returned. All agreed that learning should focus on the common clinical features, complications and management of AE and the need to appreciate its psychosocial impact. Areas of divergence included knowledge of alternative therapies. Parents felt GPs should better understand how to identify, manage and refer severe AD and recognized the value of the specialist eczema nurse. Dermatologists and parents highlighted inconsistencies in advice regarding topical steroids. This study identifies important areas for inclusion as learning outcomes on AE management in the RCGP curriculum and highlights the importance of patients and parents as a valuable resource in the development of medical education.
Highlights
Atopic eczema is a chronic, itchy skin condition that affects up to 20% of children in the UK
The 2007 guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) [5] state that “it is known that a lack of education about therapy leads to poor adherence, and to treatment failure”
Coupled separately with each of the key terms “General Practitioners (GPs) Dermatology curriculum”, “expert patients”, “parent input” and “medical curriculum development” from the earliest available articles available through to September 2012 did not reveal any previous studies which had established the views of healthcare professionals or parents of children with atopic eczema about what GPs should learn about atopic eczema
Summary
Atopic eczema is a chronic, itchy skin condition that affects up to 20% of children in the UK. Schofield analysed contemporary surveillance data from the Weekly Returns Service of the Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs) and showed that skin conditions were the most frequent reason (24% of first time visits) for consultations in general practice and that 20% of children under 12 months old were diagnosed with atopic eczema [4]. Education of health care professionals and patients improves management of atopic eczema [8] as this is a chronic illness with a significant impact on the quality of life of affected children and their families, often necessitating multiple and at times complex treatments. There is increasing evidence that atopic eczema control improves quality of life but prevents further atopic disease (the atopic march to asthma/allergic rhinitis) [9]
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