Survey Gives Snapshot on Clinician Satisfaction With Atopic Dermatitis Care

Pierette Kiewiet de Jonge

A new survey of dermatologists and primary care physicians show significant concern over the current stable of treatments for patients with atopic dermatitis.

A team, led by Pierette Kiewiet de Jonge, Evelo Biosciences, evaluated the current prescribing trends for dermatologists and primary care physicians for the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis in the US and what the unmet needs are among this patient population.

Atopic dermatitis currently affects an estimated 200 million individuals globally, including approximately 10 million people in the US.

“In the US, topical therapy remains the mainstay treatment among dermatologists and PCPs,” the authors wrote. “Approximately 85% of mild and 65% of moderate [atopic dermatitis] patients receive treatments that do not address the systemic inflammation underlying atopic disease.”

The Responders

In the study, the investigators conducted a structured, online qualitative survey disseminated to 96 dermatologists and 37 primary care physicians between January and February 2022.

The product share results were weighted by reported patient volume, with clinicians who treated more patients with atopic dermatitis carrying more weight than those who treat fewer patients.

Each participant also assessed the severity of patients based on clinical practice.

The results show dermatologists and primary care physicians believe about 75% of their patients with atopic dermatitis have mild-to-moderate disease severity, with slightly more primary care physicians suggesting more severe disease.

The Need for Better Therapies

However, the respondents also said there is an unmet need for therapies that are safe, effective, affordable, and durable for patients with mild-to-moderate disease.

The responses show 51% say there is a need for more effective treatments, 47% said there needs to be safer treatments, and 23% said there needs to be treatments with better costs or coverage. Generally, more dermatologists felt strongly about the need for new medicines than the primary care physicians.

The survey also gave responders the opportunity to voice concerns or dissatisfactions with the current state of care.

For example, 68% of dermatologists said there are significant unmet needs in treating mild atopic dermatitis, while 84% said there are significant unmet needs for treating moderate atopic dermatitis.

For primary care physicians, 59% said there are significant unmet needs treating mild disease. However, 89% of primary care physicians surveyed said there are significant unmet needs in treating moderate disease.

Generally, topical treatments were the most predominantly used among dermatologists.

For both dermatologists and primary care physicians, topical treatments were the most common treatment, followed by steroids and biologics.

“Significant unmet medical need exists for new treatment options, especially oral therapies, for mild and moderate AD patients,” the authors wrote. “Physicians most frequently expressed the need for effective, safe/well-tolerated, affordable, and durable treatments."

The study, “Prescribing trends and unmet medical need in the treatment of mild and moderate atopic dermatitis among dermatologists and primary care physicians in the United States,” was published online.