Online as good as in-person care for atopic dermatitis

An online, team-based connected health (TCH) model of care does not appear to be any different than in-person care in terms of improving outcomes in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), according to a study.

The study included 300 AD patients (mean age 34.6 years, 70.3 percent female), enrolled from eight outpatient dermatology clinics in California, US. Patients were required to be at least 1 year of age, have internet and photograph access, and have established or new clinician care.

The patients were randomly assigned to receive TCH (n=149) or in-person care (n=151). The TCH care model involved asynchronous, online access to dermatologists who would review the clinical histories and photographs of patients and subsequently provide assessments and treatment recommendations online.

Researchers assessed the 12-month change in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included changes in the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) and validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA), both of which were evaluated quarterly.

Results for all outcomes were similar between the TCH and in-person care groups. The difference in mean change between these two groups was −0.01 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], −0.22 to 0.20) for the EASI, 0.38 (95 percent CI, 0.03–0.73) for the POEM, and 0.06 (95 percent CI, 0.00–0.11) for the vIGA. All differences fell within prespecified equivalence margins.

The findings indicate that telehealth models may serve as effective tools for managing chronic diseases such as AD.