Survey of disease awareness, treatment behavior and treatment satisfaction in patients with atopic dermatitis in Korea: A multicenter study

Abstract

In Korea, there is a high dependency on oriental medicine and folk remedies (Korean J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol, 25, 2005, 110). In addition, inaccurate information available through the Internet is increasing (Korean J Dermatol, 44, 2006, 137). So, there is always a possibility that patients may have difficulty obtaining accurate information about atopic dermatitis (AD). The aim was to determine the awareness, treatment behavior and treatment satisfaction of patients with AD and their caregivers. In October 2017, patients diagnosed with AD at nine hospitals were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire was completed by each patient. A total of 371 subjects were surveyed. In response to the question asking about knowledge of AD, the correct answer rate was 55.4%. Bathing using soap, body scrub and moisturizer showed favorable outcomes. A total of 54.9% patients responded that they were reluctant to use steroid ointment. When asked about their previous treatment, 39.6% reported using oriental medicine and 26.5% had tried folk remedies. The hospital treatment satisfaction score was 6.6. Patients usually applied their knowledge in their daily lives. However, there was a lot of inaccurate knowledge. Therefore, it is important for patients to understand the characteristics of this disease and obtain correct information.

Retrospective Study of Dupilumab Treatment for Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis in Korea: Efficacy and Safety of Dupilumab in Real-World Practice

“…The mean DLQI of our patients was higher than that of patients in previous clinical trials [ 3 , 13 , 14 ], because unlike in other countries, 42.6% of Koreans AD patients in this study received oriental or folk treatment, suggesting that this population is inclined to opt for alternative treatment for atopic dermatitis. The poor therapeutic effect [ 16 ] might be considered a factor affecting the quality of life.…”

Regulation of Filaggrin, Loricrin, and Involucrin by IL-4, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-22, AHR, and NRF2: Pathogenic Implications in Atopic Dermatitis

“…AD is a common and heterogeneous eczematous skin disorder characterized by Th2-deviated skin inflammation, barrier disruption, and chronic pruritus [98][99][100]. Frequent relapse with intense pruritus deteriorates the quality of life and decreases the treatment satisfaction of afflicted patients [101][102][103][104][105]. Skin barrier dysfunction is associated with the reduced production of terminal differentiation molecules such as FLG [10,31,[106][107][108][109].…”

Systematic review about 10 interventions in dermatitis. A document from the Latin American Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

“…75,76 Using tight or rough clothes, personal care products with alcohol or perfume, exposing oneself to heat or carrying out activities inducing heavy sweating, among others, should be avoided as far as possible. 77,78 Some recommendations with low evidence but cost-effective are usually done: baths should be tempered and brief, no more than five minutes. Skin hygiene and cleaning should be smooth, scabs should be removed; avoid perfumes.…”