Dermatologists' perspectives on healthcare of patients with atopic dermatitis: A cross‐sectional study in Germany

Abstract

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic skin disease causing substantial individual and overall socioeconomic burden. Objectives The aim of this study was to gain information on the healthcare of patients with AD from dermatologists' perspectives. Methods For this cross‐sectional study, office‐based dermatologists in Southern Germany were contacted by mail in June 2021, who received a questionnaire that assessed, for example, individual data, annual number of patients, treatment satisfaction, and awareness of patients' online searches. Results The 98 participating dermatologists (mean age 53.2 ± 10.3 years, 53.1% male) reported treating a median of 300 patients with AD yearly, of those 11.0% had a severe form. Two‐thirds of physicians were consulted at least six times a year by severely affected patients. Many physicians were contacted by several patients who were pretreated by other physicians. Topical corticosteroids were the most frequently used therapy. The median proportion of patients receiving a biological was 2.0%. While nearly all dermatologists (89.8%) were satisfied with the effectiveness of available therapies, only 37.7% were satisfied with their costs. Concerning perceived treatment satisfaction among patients, 65.3% of patients with severe AD seemed satisfied. Patient use of the internet for health information was indicated to be beneficial for the awareness of AD by 74.5% of physicians, whereas most found it obstructive to patients' claims (69.1%) and therapy decisions (48.4%). Nearly the same proportion mentioned that online searches were an obstacle for (37.9%) or had no effect on (38.9%) the physician–patient relationship. Conclusions The results indicated that care of AD, especially in severely affected people, can still be improved. Additionally, from the dermatologists' perspectives, online searches mostly have a negative effect on several healthcare‐related aspects.

Burden of atopic dermatitis in Europe: A population‐centred approach leveraging web search data in 21 European countries

“…18 Additionally, while German dermatologists find patients' Internet use beneficial for AD awareness, it can also pose challenges for treatment decisions. 34 Therefore, reliable and accurate online health information may facilitate and improve the lives of patients, physicians and the patientphysician relationship. 32,33 Seasonal patterns in AD-related online interest have been observed in previous web search studies.…”

“…This aspect is particularly relevant in rural areas, where online searches for dermatological conditions are higher, probably due to greater physician shortage 18 . Additionally, while German dermatologists find patients' Internet use beneficial for AD awareness, it can also pose challenges for treatment decisions 34 . Therefore, reliable and accurate online health information may facilitate and improve the lives of patients, physicians and the patient–physician relationship 32,33 …”

Patient journey and disease‐related digital media usage: A cross‐sectional study among dermatology patients across Germany

“…Findings on the impact of digital media on the patient-physician relationship and the patient journey from physician and patient perspectives are somewhat inconsistent. [19][20][21] For example, dermatologists often do not know how to integrate the topic of digital media into the patient-physician conversation, 18,22,23 while patients wish for reliable recommendations from their physicians. 16,18 However, both patients and dermatologists desire a single evidence-based high-quality digital health platform for skin diseases.…”

Patient Journey und krankheitsbezogene Nutzung digitaler Medien: Eine Querschnittsstudie unter Dermatologie‐Patienten in Deutschland

“…Die Ergebnisse bezüglich der Auswirkungen digitaler Medien auf die Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung und die Patient Journey aus Sicht von Ärzten und Patienten zeigen eine gewisse Uneinheitlichkeit. [19][20][21] Dermatologen stehen beispielsweise oft vor der Herausforderung, das Thema digitale Medien in das Arzt-Patienten-Gespräch zu integrieren, 18,22,23 während Patienten vermehrt verlässliche Empfehlungen von ihren Ärzten erwarten. 16,18 Sowohl Patienten als auch Dermatologen wünschen sich jedoch eine einzige evidenzbasierte, qualitativ hochwertige digitale Gesundheitsplattform für Hautkrankheiten.…”