Faraz Ali, Jui Vyas, Andrew Y. Finlay
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3511

Atopic dermatitis is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition globally. The burden of atopic dermatitis on children and adults is extensive and there is also significant impact on the lives of patient caregivers and family members. It is important to be able to measure this impact to inform clinical decisions and to plan appropriate patient and carer support. The current impact of atopic dermatitis on children and adults can be measured using several different quality of life questionnaires: the most frequently used are the Dermatology Quality of Life (DLQI), Children’s Dermatology Quality of Life and Infants Dermatology Quality of Life. The impact on partners and family can be measured using several atopic dermatitis specific questionnaires or the Family DLQI or the generic Family Reported Outcome Measure, FROM-16.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common inflammatory skin condition globally that affects both children and adults. The symptoms of atopic dermatitis as well as the demands of treatment often contribute to a significant impact on patient quality of life (QoL). This QoL impairment may also extend to caregivers, partners and close family members of atopic dermatitis sufferers. This review aims to evaluate the impact of atopic dermatitis on the QoL of patients and close relatives. A myriad of tools are available for measuring QoL; a brief description of the most relevant instruments is also presented in this article.