Photo Credit: tylim
The following is a summary of “Using smartphone data to frequently measure atopic dermatitis severity and understand triggers: A decentralized 12-week observational study,” published in the November 2024 issue of Dermatology by Ali et al.
Traditionally, atopic dermatitis (AD) severity assessment is conducted during in-office consultations, limiting continuous monitoring and potentially overlooking intermittent flare/remission cycles.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to apply smartphone technology to evaluate AD severity, explore the association between frequent photograph sampling and patient-reported outcomes, and examine the disease fluctuations and triggers using passively collected environmental data.
They recruited adult patients with AD online, using a tailored remote clinical trial app for all study tasks. Participants captured photographs and completed the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) weekly; AD severity was assessed through photographs using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). The geographical data from the app was used to gather information on ambient temperature and carbon monoxide (CO), a common air pollutant.
The results showed that 42 patients (35 women) participated, with 712 photographs taken (17 per participant on average). Photographic SCORAD (r=0.450) and EASI (r=0.206) correlated significantly with the POEM severity. Among 10 patients with AD fluctuation based on SCORAD, 60% had psychiatric disorders, compared to 17% of others (P =0.008). Anxiety was associated with disease fluctuation by EASI (40% vs 7%, P =0.01), and a trend for depression (40% vs 13%, P =0.06) was observed. Decreasing temperature correlated with higher POEM (-0.18, P =0.012) and EASI scores (-0.14, P =0.007), but not SCORAD. High CO levels were linked to increased SCORAD (estimate 15.9, P <0.001).
Investigators concluded that young adult women were successfully recruited and monitored remotely for AD using smartphone-enabled photographic assessments, patient-reported outcomes, and passively collected environmental data without physical contact.
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