Randomized Trial Evaluates Educational Delivery Methods for Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis
Key Takeaways
- A randomized controlled trial found no significant differences between video- and handout-based therapeutic patient education (TPE) for pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD).
- English- and Spanish-speaking participants demonstrated comparable outcomes across disease severity, quality of life, and caregiver confidence measures.
- Investigators concluded that well-designed educational handouts may remain an effective, lower-resource option for AD education.
A randomized controlled trial published online in Pediatric Dermatology found that video-based therapeutic patient education (TPE) did not significantly outperform standard educational handouts for pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD), suggesting that both approaches may be viable tools for patient and caregiver education.
The study enrolled pediatric AD patients and caregivers at an academic pediatric dermatology clinic and evaluated outcomes among English- and Spanish-speaking participants. Investigators randomized 52 patient-caregiver dyads to receive either short captioned educational videos or handout-based education, with follow-up assessments completed by 22 participants.1
Researchers assessed disease severity and quality-of-life outcomes using the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), Child Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), and caregiver confidence measures at baseline and between 1 and 10 weeks after intervention.
Across all measured endpoints, investigators found no statistically significant differences between the video and handout groups. Educational accessibility and caregiver confidence in managing AD were also comparable between interventions. Outcomes were similar among English- and Spanish-speaking participants, supporting the feasibility of multilingual educational approaches.
The authors noted that while video-based education may improve accessibility for some families, traditional handouts remain a practical and resource-conscious option, particularly in settings with limited infrastructure or staffing support.
“These findings suggest that videos and handouts are both viable educational tools and support the use of well-constructed handouts as a viable, resource-conscious option, including in Spanish-speaking populations,” the authors wrote. “Larger studies with improved enrollment and retention are needed to further define optimal TPE strategies.”
- McDowell M, Navarro A, Siddiqui O, et al. Therapeutic patient education for pediatric atopic dermatitis patients: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Dermatol. Published online May 19, 2026. doi:10.1111/pde.70248