Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Hall D1 Foyer (Floor 3) (Coex Convention Center)
Dong Hun Lee, MD, PhD
,
Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Jin-Young Lee, MD, PhD
,
Department of Allergy and Respiratory, Health Promotion Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
Yang Park, MD, PhD
,
Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University Sanbon Medical Center, Kunpo, South Korea
Jae-Won Oh, MD, PhD, FAAAAI
,
Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Kuri Hospital, Guri, South Korea
Mi Hee Lee, MD
,
Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Women's Hospital, Incheon, South Korea
Soo-Jong Hong, MD, PhD
,
Research Center for Standardization of Allergic Diseases, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
So-Yeon Lee, MD
,
Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, South Korea
Joon Soo Park, MD, PhD
,
Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, South Korea
Dong-Ho Nahm, MD, PhD
,
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
Hye-Yung Yum, MD, PhD
,
The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Work Group on Severe/Recalcitrant Atopic Dermatitis, KAAACI, South Korea
Background: The effective management of atopic dermatitis (AD) adjusted to individual clinical courses and demands can be challenging for both patients and physicians. Understanding of actual situations, experienced and perceived by patients with AD and their caregivers, is essential to improve clinical outcomes and satisfaction in real practice.
Methods: This multi-center survey was conducted in patients with AD or their caregivers from 9 centers with questionnaires on diagnosis and management of AD.
Results: A total of 324 patients and caregivers participated in the study. Initial diagnosis of AD was mostly made by physicians (80.6 %), followed by self-diagnosis. Patients and caregivers believe that allergic substances such as house dust mite, food, pollution are responsible for AD development. Allergy tests were performed for 194 patients (59.9%), but allergen avoidance strategy was instructed in only 81 subjects (25.0%). Regarding the measures of AD management, they thought that moisturization, environmental control, improvement of body constitution are important. Major topical medications are steroid (81.8%) and topical immunomodulators (34.3%), while systemic medications include systemic steroid (42.6 %), anti-histamines (36.4 %), and cyclosporins (2.8 %). 181(55.9%) subjects have tried complementary alternative medicine including Oriental medicine. Many subjects wished for personalized management, use of specialized institutions for AD, and evidence-based, effective, and sustainable treatment to be incorporated in their sessions.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest there is still an unmet healthcare need for patients with AD in real practice. Customized, evidence-based, and multi-disciplinary approach including therapeutic patient education should be implemented to achieve the best possible outcomes.
