Distributing Written Action Plans to Control Eczema Symptoms in Children

Abstract

Written action plans for chronic diseases, such as asthma, guide parents to improve clinical outcomes for their children. Many primary care and specialty care clinicians follow national guidelines and prescribe asthma action plans annually. However, written action plans are not routinely prescribed for eczema, a chronic disease with high morbidity and prevalence that commonly presents before asthma symptoms develop. This quality improvement project initiated the use of eczema action plans with parents whose children were being managed by a pediatric dermatologist. Clinical outcomes and confidence among parents managing their child's eczema symptoms using an eczema action plan were measured. Many parents who followed individual eczema action plans reported improvement in their child's symptoms, supporting further investigation into the expected benefits of distributing eczema action plans for use at home, school, and other environments harboring potential eczema triggers.