Virtual Seminar: Topic 2 Reading Seminar Group 3

Eczema is a particular type of inflammatory reaction which characteristically causes itching and burning of the skin. Up to 20% of children and 1%-2% of adults are believed to have the condition Eczema can have both a physical and psychological impact.

It can be a long term condition, especially if it is not managed as well as it should be. Optimum management of the condition requires a lengthy and time consuming daily moisturising regime. This is very difficult to achieve and maintain. Parents of young children face the added difficulty of gaining their child’s cooperation.

The effort that needs to be put into following the regimes can be all the more disconcerting if patients or parents of patients do not see the results they are expecting in the time frame they imagined they would.

For this reason my research question would be:

How could patients/carers be involved in improving the long term or continuous (self)management of eczema

Topics:

1. Effectiveness of current regimes in terms of moisturisers and steroids prescribed.
2. Nature and scale of difficulties in implementing these regimes found by patients/parents.
3. The influence of increased or more active education on adherence to regimes.
4. The impact of improved management on psychosocial wellbeing.

As each patient’s/family’s experience of eczema is different I would use a semi structured qualitative interview, allowing them plenty of time to tell their story.

The first question would be very broad such as: What has been your experience of eczema. This will open up the conversation allowing them to bring to the discussion all the aspects they feel are important.

Some slightly more closed questions that could be asked depending on the flow of the interview could include:

1. What impact has eczema had on your life
2. What impact has the management of eczema had on your life? 
3. What do you know about eczema?
4. What would you like to know?
5. What would you like others around you (e.g. work and school) to know?
6. What do you understand about the management of eczema?

-          Why these particular treatments are prescribed

-          Why the regimes are suggested and set out as they are

-          How long management of the condition needs to continue for

8. How was the condition explained to you at the time of diagnosis?

9. How did you feel about the diagnosis?