Online Team-Based Care Matches In-Person Outcomes for Atopic Dermatitis: Analysis

Key Takeaways

• New research shows an online, team-based connected health (TCH) model achieved equivalent improvements in atopic dermatitis (AD) severity compared with conventional in-person care over 12 months.
• The study included 300 adults and children with AD and assessed outcomes using EASI, POEM, and validated vIGA scores.
• Findings support telehealth-based management as a scalable option for chronic inflammatory skin diseases, potentially improving access to specialist care without compromising clinical outcomes.

A team-based connected health (TCH) model delivered online achieved equivalent improvements in atopic dermatitis (AD) severity compared with traditional in-person care, according to results from a randomized clinical trial.

The study enrolled 300 adults and children with physician-diagnosed AD from eight outpatient dermatology clinics. Participants were randomized 1:1 to either an online TCH program or conventional in-person management. Eligible patients were at least 1 year of age and had internet access and the ability to submit photographs for remote assessment. 

The TCH model provided asynchronous online access to dermatologists, who reviewed patient histories and photographs and then delivered assessments and treatment recommendations remotely. Patients in the control arm received standard face-to-face dermatologic care. The primary endpoint was change in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score over 12 months, with secondary endpoints including changes in the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) and validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA).

Among the 300 participants (mean age, 34.6 years; 70.3% female), 149 were assigned to TCH and 151 to in-person care. Investigators reported a mean between-group difference in change of −0.01 (95% CI, −0.22 to 0.20) for EASI, 0.38 (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.73) for POEM, and 0.06 (95% CI, 0.00 to 0.11) for vIGA. All outcome differences remained within prespecified equivalence margins.

“In this randomized clinical trial, the online TCH model resulted in equivalent improvements in AD signs and symptoms compared to in-person care," the authors wrote. "Telehealth models may serve as effective tools for managing chronic diseases like AD.”

Source

Armstrong A, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2026. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.1959