Equivalent Improvements in Eczema Seen With Team-Based Online Care, In-Person Care

FRIDAY, June 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The online team-based connected health (TCH) model yields equivalent improvements in signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with in-person care, according to a study published online June 24 in JAMA Dermatology.

April W. Armstrong, M.D., M.P.H., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined whether an online TCH model provides equivalent improvements in AD severity compared to in-person care in a pragmatic, randomized, clinical equivalence trial involving 300 patients with AD. Participants from eight outpatient dermatology clinics were randomly assigned to TCH or in-person care (149 and 151 patients, respectively). The primary outcome was 12-month change in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). Changes in the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) and validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA) were secondary outcomes.

The researchers found that the difference in mean change was −0.01, 0.38, and 0.06 for the EASI, POEM, and vIGA, respectively, between the two groups. All differences fell within prespecified equivalence margins.

“As health systems continue to integrate digital platforms, TCH offers a scalable model that can maintain clinical quality while addressing the everyday challenges patients and clinicians face in managing chronic diseases,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and dermatology industries; one author reported a patent for selected Skindex quality-of-life tools.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)