Eczema Mindlines

Eczema affects nearly 20 percent of children across the UK. With self-management being a core part of combating the condition, the Eczema Mindlines project provides a range of videos, conferences, workshops and more to provide sufferers with the help they need.

Researcher

Fiona Cowdell

Research background

Atopic eczema is a long-term relapsing skin condition and is among the fifty most burdensome diseases worldwide. In the UK, eczema affects approximately 20 percent of children and between 2-10 percent of adults; 97 percent of cases are treated in primary care.

Effective eczema care requires diligent self-management. The cornerstone of treatment is regular, and consistent use of topical emollients and intermittent use of topical corticosteroids as required. Treatment failure is common and wastage of prescribed preparations high, while primary care consultations can be unsatisfactory for both patients and practitioners.

Research aims

The aim of this study is to assess if new methods of sharing knowledge about the treatment of eczema which change practitioner and lay mindlines (collectively reinforced, internalised tacit guidelines) can improve experience and outcomes of primary care consultations and self-management practices. This work is funded through the National Institute for Health Research, Knowledge Mobilisation Research Fellowship programme.

How is the research carried out?

This study has four phases:

Observation of consultations and interviews with lay people with eczema and practitioners (GPs, nurses, health visitors, community pharmacists, pharmacy counter assistants) to understand how eczema mindlines develop;
Interviews with a wider group of lay people with eczema and practitioners to confirm the mindlines developed in Phase One are representative of their experiences;
Working with stakeholders to design and deliver interventions to improve knowledge sharing in eczema;
Interviews and analytics to see how the intervention impacts in practice.

Models of lay and practitioner mindlines have been created.

Research outcomes

Throughout the project several guides and resources have been created to help children and families manage eczema and improve treatment. Below, you can learn more about managing eczema and watch video guides on how to control the condition.

For parents and teachers, there is also the Dragon in My Skin book, animation and resource pack, which is aims to improve teaching around eczema and help children better understand their condition.

A guide to improving eczema care from the Eczema Mindlines project

Health professionals, researchers and parents have pooled their knowledge to offer key messages to improve eczema care.

A still from an animation highlighting how to manage eczema

This five-part series of animations provides a range of handy tips and guidance for combating and managing eczema.

Illustrated book cover of two children sitting next to a dragon

A storybook collaboration for children aged 5-7 who suffer from eczema. Find links to the book, teacher resource pack and an animation which helps children understand their condition.

Useful links and publications

Fiona recently gave a presentation on her research on improving primary care eczema - the video can be viewed here.
Open access
SAPC Conference
Knowledge mobilisation: an ethnographic study of the influence of lay mindlines on eczema self-management in primary care in the UK
Knowledge mobilisation: a UK co-creation study to devise strategies to amend lay and practitioner atopic eczema mindlines to improve consultation experiences and self-management practices in primary care
Knowledge mobilisation: an exploratory qualitative interview study to confirm and envision modification of lay and practitioner eczema mindlines to improve consultation experiences and self-management in primary care in the UK

Disclaimer

This presentation presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.