research summary

Online Teledermatology Matches In-Person Care for Atopic Dermatitis Quality of Life in RCT

Edited by:
Anthony Calabro, MA

Key Highlights

  • Online team-based connected health teledermatology produced quality-of-life improvements equivalent to traditional in-person atopic dermatitis care across 12 months.
  • The trial included 300 participants aged ≥1 year with physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, randomized 1:1 to online or in-person management.
  • Differences in mean change between arms remained within prespecified equivalence margins for DLQI, EQ-5D-5L utility index, and EQ-5D-5L VAS.
  • The online model significantly reduced time needed for evaluation at baseline compared with in-person care.

An online, team-based connected health teledermatology model yielded quality-of-life improvements equivalent to in-person management among patients with atopic dermatitis and reduced baseline evaluation time, according to a randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

The findings address a key access issue in the care of atopic dermatitis. Traditional in-person visits may create logistical barriers for patients with a chronic skin disease that can substantially affect quality of life and often requires regular dermatologic care.

Researchers conducted a 12-month, pragmatic, randomized, controlled equivalence trial to compare online team-based connected health teledermatology with traditional in-person management for atopic dermatitis. The trial enrolled 300 participants aged ≥1 year with physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and randomized them 1:1 to the online or in-person arm.

Quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and EQ-5D-5L measures. Access to care was evaluated by average time needed for evaluation. Participant recruitment and study visits began in August 2019 and concluded in May 2024.

Study Findings

Among the 300 randomized participants, 149 were assigned to the online team-based connected health group and 151 to the in-person control group. All randomized participants received their assigned intervention and were included in the analyses. Follow-up retention was high, with completion rates of 97% at month 3, 96% at month 6, 95.7% at month 9, and 95.3% at month 12.

For all quality-of-life measures, the difference in mean change between the online and in-person arms fell within the prespecified equivalence margins. The difference was 0.12 (95% CI, -0.18 to 0.42) for DLQI, 0.00 (95% CI, -0.01 to 0.01) for the EQ-5D-5L utility index, and -0.11 (95% CI, -0.70 to 0.48) for the EQ-5D-5L visual analog scale. The online team-based connected health model also significantly reduced time needed for evaluation at baseline (P = .03).

Clinical Implications

According to the study authors, the findings suggest that online team-based connected health teledermatology can provide quality-of-life outcomes comparable with traditional in-person care for patients with atopic dermatitis while improving access by reducing time needed for evaluation at baseline. The authors also stated that quality-of-life scores improved in both groups during follow-up and remained comparable between arms.

Expert Commentary

“For patients with atopic dermatitis, the online team-based connected health model resulted in equivalent improvements in quality of life and reduced time needed for evaluation at baseline,” the researchers concluded.

Reference
Armstrong AW, Roberts AM, Kostandy G, et al. Impact of online vs in-person management of atopic dermatitis on quality of life and access to care: a randomized controlled trial. J Invest Dermatol. Published online 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2026.06.1277