Dr Elaine Siegfried Addresses Patient-Centered Therapeutic Management for Atopic Dermatitis

Shared decision-making is important to ensure patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) know how to use treatments properly and have an understanding of the associated side effects, said Elaine Siegfried, MD, professor of pediatrics and dermatology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center.

Transcript

What considerations should be top of mind for dermatologists managing the care of diverse patients with AD, both in the pediatric and adult setting?

I think it's really important to pay attention to shared decision-making for treatments. Patients have to understand, first and foremost, how to use treatment, and then they also have to get access to that treatment. So, out-of-pocket costs play a big role and just being able to use the medications.

Now, when we talk about more aggressive systemic treatment, the side effect profile has to be explained in great detail, and people have to be understanding of that. And then for the biologic treatments, those are subcutaneous injections, so people have to be willing to do that as well. Although, I find that to be probably the least problematic of all the considerations.