Online Pediatric Skin House
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Abstract
Background and aim
Skin diseases in children are highly prevalent. In children, atopic dermatitis and infectious skin diseases are most frequently encountered. The online pediatric Skin House (www.huidhuis.nl) is a digital interactive platform for information, treatment and expertise. Its aim is efficient and high quality care for children with skin diseases by making disease knowledge, self-management programs and treatment protocols easily available. The Skin House strives for a continuum of integrated personalized stepped care and focuses especially on children and their parents, but also on General Practitioners, Youth Health Care workers, medical specialists and other involved health care professionals.
Method and functionalities
All content of the Skin House is based on official guidelines and standards of the Dutch Task Force Group on Pediatric Dermatology of the Dutch Society of Dermatology and Venereology, and on guidelines of Pediatricians, General Practitioners or Youth Health Care and written under supervision of a pediatric dermatologist. The Skin House consists of different rooms of both common and rare skin diseases. Navigation to the appropriate room is realized by a ‘diagnostic tree’: the child, parent or health care professional selects the symptoms of the skin complaint and related diseases are then displayed. Each room gives access to different facilities.
First, photographs and information on the skin diseases are shown, with possible causes, symptoms, treatment, and self-care options. Also information on current medical research is provided.
Second, patient information on the disease is added, as well as available websites, self-management programs (e.g. e-learning course for parents), and patients’ organizations. Additionally, the child or its parents have access to official guidelines and professional standards.
Third, older children and parents of younger children can create a personal health record and they can give access to their health care providers to get insight in and interact through this record. The personal health record is compliant with all Dutch rules and regulation with respect to privacy protection and checked and approved by the Dutch Privacy Protection Authority.Treatment protocols are offered within their personal health record. Currently, a treatment protocol for children with hemangiomas is available. Photographs can be uploaded, and the severity score and standardized questionnaires can be filled in before the consultation. Prescribed medication is listed online and e-consultation or peer consultation is possible between the parent, medical specialist and medical specialists of a congenital vascular anomaly center. Resultantly, parents and medical specialist are better informed and care is coordinated and integrated within all participants. As a result, health care for young children with hemangiomas can improve and take place closer at home.
Experiences and preliminary results
The pediatric Skin House is online since October 2012 without advertisement and is created with several grants. Currently, the website has approximately 400 unique visits per day. Information about more than a hundred skin diseases and complaints is already available. Preliminary results of a study among parents and health care professionals who used the hemangioma treatment protocol indicate that this might be an useful and feasible tool.
Conclusion
The online pediatric Skin House provides parents and their children with skin diseases or complaints and health care professionals with evidence based information and the possibility for e-consultation or peer consultation. The pediatric Skin House has the potential to contribute to a more efficient and accessible health care system.
Acknowledgements: the online pediatric Skin House has been developed with grants of Provincie Flevoland, Regieraad Kwaliteit van Zorg and Fonds Nuts Ohra; all are from the Netherlands
Skin diseases in children are highly prevalent. In children, atopic dermatitis and infectious skin diseases are most frequently encountered. The online pediatric Skin House (www.huidhuis.nl) is a digital interactive platform for information, treatment and expertise. Its aim is efficient and high quality care for children with skin diseases by making disease knowledge, self-management programs and treatment protocols easily available. The Skin House strives for a continuum of integrated personalized stepped care and focuses especially on children and their parents, but also on General Practitioners, Youth Health Care workers, medical specialists and other involved health care professionals.
Method and functionalities
All content of the Skin House is based on official guidelines and standards of the Dutch Task Force Group on Pediatric Dermatology of the Dutch Society of Dermatology and Venereology, and on guidelines of Pediatricians, General Practitioners or Youth Health Care and written under supervision of a pediatric dermatologist. The Skin House consists of different rooms of both common and rare skin diseases. Navigation to the appropriate room is realized by a ‘diagnostic tree’: the child, parent or health care professional selects the symptoms of the skin complaint and related diseases are then displayed. Each room gives access to different facilities.
First, photographs and information on the skin diseases are shown, with possible causes, symptoms, treatment, and self-care options. Also information on current medical research is provided.
Second, patient information on the disease is added, as well as available websites, self-management programs (e.g. e-learning course for parents), and patients’ organizations. Additionally, the child or its parents have access to official guidelines and professional standards.
Third, older children and parents of younger children can create a personal health record and they can give access to their health care providers to get insight in and interact through this record. The personal health record is compliant with all Dutch rules and regulation with respect to privacy protection and checked and approved by the Dutch Privacy Protection Authority.Treatment protocols are offered within their personal health record. Currently, a treatment protocol for children with hemangiomas is available. Photographs can be uploaded, and the severity score and standardized questionnaires can be filled in before the consultation. Prescribed medication is listed online and e-consultation or peer consultation is possible between the parent, medical specialist and medical specialists of a congenital vascular anomaly center. Resultantly, parents and medical specialist are better informed and care is coordinated and integrated within all participants. As a result, health care for young children with hemangiomas can improve and take place closer at home.
Experiences and preliminary results
The pediatric Skin House is online since October 2012 without advertisement and is created with several grants. Currently, the website has approximately 400 unique visits per day. Information about more than a hundred skin diseases and complaints is already available. Preliminary results of a study among parents and health care professionals who used the hemangioma treatment protocol indicate that this might be an useful and feasible tool.
Conclusion
The online pediatric Skin House provides parents and their children with skin diseases or complaints and health care professionals with evidence based information and the possibility for e-consultation or peer consultation. The pediatric Skin House has the potential to contribute to a more efficient and accessible health care system.
Acknowledgements: the online pediatric Skin House has been developed with grants of Provincie Flevoland, Regieraad Kwaliteit van Zorg and Fonds Nuts Ohra; all are from the Netherlands
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