Background: The structures currently available for the care of patients with chronic inflammatory dermatoses are inadequate to meet the needs and specific problems of patients suffering from these diseases. This work describes an interdisciplinary pilot project carried out for ambulant neighborhood rehabilitation and training of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris patients as an alternative to conventional care arrangements. Patients and Methods: From 1997 to 2000, adult patients suffering from atopic dermatitis (n = 36) and psoriasis vulgaris (n = 27) and parents of children with atopic dermatitis (n = 42) took part in an ambulant neighborhood rehabilitation and training program. Questionnaires and scoring systems (SCORAD and PASI) were used to determine the quality of the procedures and the results; the overall rehabilitation program and the training were evaluated separately. Results: The quality of process used in the overall rehabilitation program and in the training course were rated as very good by the patients in all 3 groups, with both SCORAD and PASI showing significant downward trends. Although the training course brought distinct improvement in the patients’ knowledge and understanding of their disease and in their ability to cope with it, it did little to induce behavioral changes. Conclusions: Current experience with training and the ambulant neighborhood rehabilitation program indicates that both can have a valuable place in the care of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris patients. It seems reasonable to upgrade the status of these models in the future. This would be helped by the introduction of comparable concepts and the implementation of scientific studies nationwide.

No abstract