A service evaluation of the Eczema Education Programme: an analysis of child, parent and service impact outcomes

Ersser, S.J.; Farasat, H.; Jackson, K.; Dennis, H.; Sheppard, Z.A.; More, A.

Abstract

Background The systematic support of parents of children with eczema is essential in effective disease management. The few existing support models have a limited evidence base. This paper reports the outcome-orientated service evaluation of an original, extensive, social learning-theory based, nurse-led Eczema Education Programme (EEP). Objectives To evaluate the EEP using specified child and parental outcomes and service impact data. Methods From a sample of 257 parent-child dyads attending the EEP, a pretest-post-test design evaluated its child impact using health-related quality of life measures (Infants' Dermatitis Quality of Life index, which includes a small dermatitis severity element, and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index), severity measures (Patient Orientated Eczema Measure), a new parental measure (Parental Self-Efficacy in Eczema Care Index) and service impact data based on general practitioner (GP) attendance patterns pre- and postintervention. Results Statistically significant impacts were observed on infant quality of life (P < 0·001), child quality of life (P = 0·027), disease severity (P < 0·001) and parental self-efficacy (P < 0·001). Improvements in child quality of life, parental efficacy and service impact were also evident from qualitative data. The cumulative total of all GP visits for selected participants post-EEP reduced by 62%. Conclusions The EEP appears to be an effective model of delivering structured education to parents of children with eczema, and one generalizable to other multiethnic metropolitan populations. As a noncontrolled study, this rigorous service evaluation highlights the model's significance and the case for an evaluative multicentre randomized controlled trial of this educational intervention to inform a nurse-led programme of care. What's already known about this topic? Effective eczema management depends on support for effective parental engagement. Systematic educational support, whether group multidisciplinary or one-to-one nurse-led intervention, can have a favourable impact on the health-related quality of life and disease severity of children with eczema. What does this study add? This is the first evaluation of an original self-efficacy-based Eczema Education Programme, generating robust noncontrolled evidence that systematic nurse-led group eczema education can favourably impact on the health-related quality of life and disease severity of children with eczema Parental self-efficacy is an important factor that may lead to improved quality of life and should be measured in intervention studies. © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

Citation

Ersser, S., Farasat, H., Jackson, K., Dennis, H., Sheppard, Z., & More, A. (2013). A service evaluation of the Eczema Education Programme: an analysis of child, parent and service impact outcomes. British journal of dermatology, 169(3), 629-636 . https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.12414

• Acceptance Date: Apr 25, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Aug 30, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013-09
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: British journal of dermatology
• Print ISSN: 0007-0963
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2133
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 169
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 629-636
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.12414
• Keywords: Dermatology
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/469144
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.12414/abstract;jsessionid=594F2B047D58E2D89A692B56F12C556A.f04t04?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+unavailable+on+Saturday+3rd+September+2016+at+08.30+BST%2F+03%3A30+EDT%2F+15%3A30+SGT+for+5+hours+a
• Additional Information: Authors' accepted manuscript of article published in: British journal of dermatology, 2013, v.169, issue 3