In a consensus survey study, participants with atopic dermatitis (AD) agreed on a patient-centered definition of AD flare, which most agreed would help when communicating with their healthcare providers (HCPs).

"In this consensus survey study, we identified statements that are critical to the definition of an AD flare from the patient perspective," the authors wrote. These findings, they added, "may be useful in clinical practice to improve communication between patients and HCPs who may be using the term flare without a mutual understanding of its meaning" and "may also be applied to the development of outcome measures focused on AD flares, which is an important treatment outcome for people with AD."

The study was led by Aaron M. Drucker, MD, ScM, of the Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was published online on September 11 in JAMA Dermatology.

Participants had higher-than-average knowledge about AD, and the study's findings may not be generalizable to all people with AD. The study included a higher proportion of moderate to severe AD cases than the general population, which may introduce responder bias. The findings may not be applicable to children, caregivers, or individuals in other countries.

This work was supported by a grant to the National Eczema Association from Pfizer. Drucker disclosed received compensation from the British Journal of Dermatology, American Academy of Dermatology, and Canadian Dermatology Today, and consultant fees from the National Eczema Association and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. Another author reported receiving personal fees from pharmaceutical companies.