Impact of an Atopic Dermatitis Education, Reminder, and Accountability Program on Patient Adherence to Treatment and Outcome of Atopic Dermatitis

Eczema is a chronic disease that requires long term and extensive treatment. However patient adherence to the treatment plans provided to them by their healthcare providers is poor. Frequent follow-up appointments have been demonstrated to improve treatment adherence, this may be due to patients feeling a sense of accountability which motivates them to adhere to their treatment. However, although frequent follow-up appointments are effective, they are not feasible. The goal of the Eczema Reminder and Accountability Program (ERAP) is to assess the effectiveness of a patient reminder system on patient adherence to treatment and the outcome of eczema. Participants will receive weekly/biweekly text messages that encourage them to adhere to their treatment plan, and asks them to assess the severity of their eczema and adherence to treatment for that week using questionnaires. Participants are then asked to send the completed questionnaires to Hamilton Allergy. Should the ERAP improve eczema outcome and treatment adherence, the goal is to use the ERAP as a virtual follow-up to reduce the need for frequent in-office follow-ups.