Most people with eczema have mild or moderate disease, and most are treated in primary care.1 This article aims to support health professionals in helping patients get control of eczema in time-limited consultations. Recent updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on atopic eczema highlighted changes to advice regarding bath emollients and advice on how to wash.2 While a fuller update is awaited, the evidence behind this is presented here, along with a summary of other recent research on eczema.
Signposting to self-management website improves eczema outcomes
For many people with eczema the main barrier to treatment control is effective use of emollients and topical corticosteroids (TCS).3 Understanding the different roles of these two treatments is crucial: topical corticosteroids get control while emollients keep control of eczema. Recent research has shown that a freely available website (Eczema Care Online; https://www.eczemacareonline.org.uk) supporting eczema self-management leads to improved eczema outcomes for both children and young people.4
Eczema Care Online was developed together with patients/ carers and incorporated extensive user feedback. This showed that terminology can be a barrier to treatment use, as emollient …
