The 'Skin Detective Questionnaire': A survey tool for self-assessment of patients with atopic dermatitis. First results of its application

Abstract

The 'Skin Detective' is a tool for self-assessment regarding the condition of the skin for children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD). Background: An increased awareness of one's current skin condition and a realistic assessment of the severity of the illness constitute important aspects of good illness management in AD patients. Until recently, only one expert tool for the assessment of a patient's dermatological condition has existed: the SCORAD. Since an improvement in the management of the illness can be considered a success criterion of an AD training for patients, a tool enabling patients' self-assessment was developed, tested, and implemented in the German Atopic Dermatitis Intervention Study (GADIS), a multicentre study. Method: Based on the SCORAD, a survey tool was developed which was tested in a pilot study (n = 22, aged 7-21) and applied during the multicentre study GADIS (n = 324, aged 8-13). The patients' statements about their current skin condition were compared with the experts' assessments expressed by SCORAD. Results: Regarding the current spread of the illness, no congruence could be found between the assessment by the patients and that by the experts. The assessments of the severity, however, correlated to a significant degree. Conclusion: The 'Skin Detective' is suited as a tool for recording the current severity of the skin condition of children and adolescents suffering from AD. At the latest after participation in a standardised training, patients are able to realistically assess their skin condition.