Abstract
Background: Childhood eczema is often poorly controlled due to under-use of emollients and topical corticosteroids. Parents/carers report practical and psychosocial barriers to managing their child’s eczema, including child resistance. Online interventions could potentially support parents/carers; however, rigorous research developing such interventions has been limited.
Aim: To develop an online behavioural intervention to help parents/carers manage and co-manage their child’s eczema.
Design and setting: Intervention development using a theory-, evidence- and Person-Based Approach with qualitative research.
Methods: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis (32 studies) and interviews with parents/carers (N=30) were used to identify barriers and facilitators to effective eczema management, and a prototype intervention was developed. Think-aloud interviews with parents/carers (N=25) were then used to optimise the intervention to increase its acceptability and feasibility.
Results: Qualitative research identified that parents/carers had concerns about using emollients and topical corticosteroids; incomplete knowledge and skills around managing eczema; and reluctance to transitioning to co-managing eczema with their child. Think-aloud interviews highlighted that while experienced parents/carers felt they knew how to manage eczema, some information about how to use treatments was still new. Techniques for addressing barriers included: providing a rationale explaining how emollients and topical corticosteroids work; demonstrating how to use treatments; and highlighting that the intervention provided new, up-to-date information.
Conclusions: Parents/carers need support in effectively managing and co-managing their child’s eczema. The key output of this research is Eczema Care Online (ECO) for Families; an online intervention for parents/carers of children with eczema, which is being evaluated in a randomised trial.
Aim: To develop an online behavioural intervention to help parents/carers manage and co-manage their child’s eczema.
Design and setting: Intervention development using a theory-, evidence- and Person-Based Approach with qualitative research.
Methods: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis (32 studies) and interviews with parents/carers (N=30) were used to identify barriers and facilitators to effective eczema management, and a prototype intervention was developed. Think-aloud interviews with parents/carers (N=25) were then used to optimise the intervention to increase its acceptability and feasibility.
Results: Qualitative research identified that parents/carers had concerns about using emollients and topical corticosteroids; incomplete knowledge and skills around managing eczema; and reluctance to transitioning to co-managing eczema with their child. Think-aloud interviews highlighted that while experienced parents/carers felt they knew how to manage eczema, some information about how to use treatments was still new. Techniques for addressing barriers included: providing a rationale explaining how emollients and topical corticosteroids work; demonstrating how to use treatments; and highlighting that the intervention provided new, up-to-date information.
Conclusions: Parents/carers need support in effectively managing and co-managing their child’s eczema. The key output of this research is Eczema Care Online (ECO) for Families; an online intervention for parents/carers of children with eczema, which is being evaluated in a randomised trial.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | e378-e389 |
| Journal | British Journal of General Practice |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue number | 719 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Feb 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research programme (grant ref No RP-PG-0216-20007). Eczema Care Online (ECO) for Families was developed using LifeGuide software, which was partly funded by the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). Sinead M Langan is supported by a Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship in Clinical Science (205039/Z/16/Z). This research was funded in whole or in part by the Wellcome Trust [205039/Z/16/Z]. Matthew J Ridd was funded by a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship from the NIHR (PDF-2014-07-013). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Royal College of General Practitioners. All rights reserved.
Research Groups and Themes
- Physical and Mental Health
Keywords
- atopic eczema
- paediatric dermatology
- qualitative research
- family practice
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