Thursday, 08 December 2022
A new study by researchers at the University of Nottingham has found that appropriate online support can improve eczema in children and young people.
Eczema is very common and can have a substantial impact on quality of life and costs to the NHS. Treatment can be complex and many people say that they receive insufficient or conflicting advice about how to use eczema treatments.
To tackle the problem, researchers invited young people (aged 13 to 25 years) and parents or carers of small children to test a website that was specifically designed to support self-management of eczema. The site, which is now available for anyone to use, is free from commercial influences and provides information, such as how to use eczema treatments and how to avoid potential trigger factors, based on the latest research. Users can also watch short videos or print off resources to help when discussing eczema with healthcare professionals.
This website is a fantastic resource for people with eczema and we hope that they will find it a useful addition to the care that they receive from healthcare professionals. This project was produced in partnership with people who live with eczema, and they helped us to develop the content to reflect their needs.
The results -published this week in The BMJ - show that the Eczema Care Online website not only improved peoples’ eczema within six months but it also led to sustained benefits over a whole year. The website was tested in two randomised controlled trials involving over 650 people with eczema (340 parents or carers of children with eczema and 337 young people who were caring for their own eczema). People who used the website during the study were extremely positive about the experience:
I thought I knew how to look after my child’s eczema but I learned so many new things from Eczema Care Online – things I would have never thought of!
It was one of the best websites I’ve ever used. It was really easy to use and provided the answers to my specific questions. I didn’t have to read through lots of stuff that wasn’t relevant to me.
Kim Thomas, Professor of Applied Dermatology Research at the University of Nottingham co-led the research alongside Professor Miriam Santer.
Health professionals often don't have enough time to go into all the details about how to look after eczema. We hope that this website will be rapidly rolled out within the NHS to provide effective help for eczema without causing extra workload for staff.
The University of Nottingham is a world leader in skin research – particularly in atopic eczema. Our Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology produces internationally renowned research that has a direct impact on clinical practice.
The Eczema Care Online website is freely available at www.EczemaCareOnline.org.uk. The project, funded by the NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research, is a collaboration between the University of Southampton, University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, University of East Anglia and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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