Extract

Background and study aims Childhood eczema is very common, affecting more than 20% of children aged 5 years or younger at some point. The symptoms can range from mild to severe but usually involves itchy, dry patches of skin. In some cases, the itchiness can be so severe that it interferes with daily life and causes sleep disturbances, which can be extremely distressing for both the child and their family. Healthy skin cells are plumped up with water, which is kept in by natural oils on the skin surface (barrier). If a person has eczema, then the skin often doesn’t produce these oils, leading to loss of moisture and dryness. The main treatments for eczema are emollient creams (moisturisers) and topical corticosteroids (creams or gels containing hormones that reduce inflammation (swelling) which are applied to the skin) in order to prevent flare ups of the condition. Many carers find it difficult to carry out these treatments, as they may not fully understand what the different creams are for and their children may refuse treatment. Carers also need lots of other information, for instance about avoiding things that make eczema worse (such as soap) and how to deal with scratching. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of a new internet-based program which offers help and advice to carers of young children with eczema. Who can participate? Carers of children under 5 years old who are suffering from eczema. What does the study involve? Participants are randomly allocated to one of three groups. Those in the first group continue to receive usual care and are also given access to the internet-based program for 12 weeks, which includes 14 modules aiming to provide advice and information about caring for children with eczema, such as diet and allergy information, medications, bath time, sleep problems and managing scratching. Those in the second group also receive usual care and access to the internet-based program, but are also given health care professional (HCP) support. This involves phone calls in which the HCP encouraging the participant to use the website. Participants in the third group received usual care only for the 6 months of the study. At the start of the study and again after 6 months, participants complete a number of questionnaires in order to assess whether the way they care for their child’s eczema has changed. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Participants who have access to the web-based program may find new ways of helping their children, and may be more confident in using different treatments. There are no risks of taking part in this study. Where is the study run from? Aldermoor Surgery, Southamptom (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? November 2010 to December 2012 Who is funding the study? National Institute for Health Research (UK) Who is the main contact? Dr Miriam Santer [email protected]

Inclusion criteria

• Eczema

Links

• ictrp
• isrctn