Improving Outcomes Through Therapeutic Patient Education.

Therapeutic patient education is a nascent movement in the care of atopic dermatitis, offering patients-and, for children, their caregivers-knowledge, skills, support, and coping strategies for managing what for many is a relapsing/ remitting chronic disease that severely compromises quality of life. Interventions range from a written treatment plan provided in the office to a 6-week education program. Studies indicate that this approach yields benefits for patients and their caregivers. Most of these studies involved children and their parents or other caregivers, but reduced signs and symptoms of disease and improved quality of life also has been documented in adults. Semin Cutan Med Surg 36(supp4):S106-S107.