A Family-Engaged Educational Program for Atopic Dermatitis: A Seven-Year, Multicenter Experience in Daegu-Gyeongbuk, South Korea

Abstract

BackgroundIt is important to educate families of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) so that they have a correct understanding of AD.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to introduce, evaluate, and improve our family-engaged educational program.MethodsChildren suffering from AD and their families have participated in a half-day educational program called "AD school" with catchy slogans such as "Enjoy with AD Families!" every year since 2005. Educational lectures were conducted for parents. For children with AD, various entertaining programs were provided. A feedback survey about AD school was administered for the purpose of evaluation.ResultsA total of 827 people (376 patients and 451 family members) participated in this program over 7 years. On-site surveys showed a positive response (i.e., "excellent" or "good") for the prick test (95.1%), emollient education (78.4%), educational lecture (97.0%), drawing contest and games (90.2%), and recreation (magic show; 99.0%) respectively. Telephone surveys one year later also elicited a positive response.ConclusionWe herein introduce the experience of a half-day, family-engaged educational program for AD. Family-engaged education programs for AD such as this AD school encourage and validate family participation in the treatment of their children's AD.

Effects of a Hybrid Education Programme for Korean Mothers of Children with Atopic Dermatitis

“…In addition to efficacy, the mothers in our study significantly increased their caregiving behaviours after participating in the 8-stage hybrid educational programme. Consistent with our findings, a similar study by Jang et al (43) also indicated that mother's AD-management behaviours were significantly influenced after they increased their knowledge of the condition and shared their experiences of AD during an educational programme designed to help them manage their children's AD. These findings mirror those of Aga et al (44) and Bes et al (45), who showed that caregiving behaviour increased after the implementation of health education programmes for mothers.…”

Parental knowledge, attitude, and behavior toward children with atopic dermatitis

“…The need for effective, consistent child‐parent education could be the key to successful self‐management of AD . Some studies pointed out the importance of educational programs on AD that might have a positive impact not only on the course of the disease but also on the family's quality of life by providing psychological support to the patients and their parents …”

Psoriasis: Advocating for psychosocial support

“…Families are also able to partake in support groups and share their experiences with other families. These programs have successfully been implemented across the United States, Europe, and Asia 12,13 . Sadly, similar large scale efforts have not yet been made for psoriasis.…”