Time spent on treatment of atopic dermatitis: a new method of measuring pediatric morbidity?

Our purpose was to examine if the time spent on treatment (TSOT) is a relevant surrogate measure of pediatric disease severity. The TSOT (min/day) was studied in a group of 42 children with atopic dermatitis (AD) (16 girls and 26 boys; mean age 7.07 years). The TSOT included time spent on all types of topical treatment, on extra cleaning, and on visits to doctors. Objective Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) assessment was performed at each visit. A significant correlation was found between TSOT and SCORAD scores for all visits (p < 0.0001). There was no correlation between TSOT and age or sex or between TSOT/SCORAD and age (p < 0.08). For the 65 visits (by 42 children), TSOT/SCORAD ranged from 0.08 min/point to 28.67 min/point. Older children (10-15 years of age) had a lower TSOT/SCORAD ratio compared to younger children (1-5 years of age). Our data suggest that TSOT in itself may be a useful measure of morbidity among pediatric AD patients. It is speculated that patients with a very high TSOT/SCORAD rate or a very low rate have coping problems and would therefore be suitable candidates for intensified efforts in programs such as "eczema schools."