Pioneering global best practices in atopic dermatitis: results from the atopic dermatitis quality of care initiative

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by unrelenting pruritus and recurrent eczematous lesions. It affects up to 15% of children and adolescents and up to 5% of adults, and confers a high and multifactorial burden to patients, families and society. With increasing awareness of this substantial burden, AD has become a priority for healthcare systems. Aim: The Atopic Dermatitis Quality of Care (ADQoC) initiative set out to describe good practices for addressing the challenges that impede the management of AD. Methods: The initiative carried out a literature review and surveyed 32 expert care centres, catalogued findings, and analysed and elucidated global challenges to AD care along with good practice implementations that can address them. Results: The four challenges to quality care for AD are: (i) misconceptions about AD; (ii) delayed referral and access to AD specialists; (iii) poor patient access to AD treatments and poor adherence to medications; and (iv) managing the complexity of AD and its comorbidities. The initiative highlighted 5 of 10 good practice implementations as high priority for any AD care centre to focus on: (i) clinical assessment and diagnosis; (ii) a structured multidisciplinary care team; (iii) monitoring and evaluating care quality; (iv) patient education and communication; and (v) collaboration and exchange with patient groups. Conclusion: These implementations can provide benefits for patients, healthcare providers and the healthcare system. They directly contribute to the efficacy of treatment, improved healthcare provider efficiency, improved education for patients and healthcare providers, and improved costs to healthcare systems. The initiative was launched on https://atopicdermatitiscare.kpmg.co.uk/ to provide an easy-to-use educational platform.