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Outputs (173)

Patient and health professional views on risk-stratified monitoring of immune-suppressing treatment in adults with inflammatory diseases (2024)
Journal Article
Fuller, A., Hancox, J., Williams, H. C., Card, T., Taal, M. W., Aithal, G. P., …Abhishek, A. (in press). Patient and health professional views on risk-stratified monitoring of immune-suppressing treatment in adults with inflammatory diseases. Rheumatology, Article keae175. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keae175

Objective To explore the acceptability of an individualised risk-stratified approach to monitoring for target-organ toxicity in adult patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases established on immune-suppressing treatment(s). Methods Adu... Read More about Patient and health professional views on risk-stratified monitoring of immune-suppressing treatment in adults with inflammatory diseases.

Commentary: A comparative randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus versus hydrocortisone as a topical treatment of atopic dermatitis in children (2024)
Journal Article
Harvey, J., Stuart, B., & Williams, H. C. (2024). Commentary: A comparative randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus versus hydrocortisone as a topical treatment of atopic dermatitis in children. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15, Article 1372259. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1372259

Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation (2024)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Grainge, M., Card, T., Williams, H. C., Taal, M. W., Aithal, G. P., …Riley, R. (2024). Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation. RMD Open, 10(1), Article e003980. https://doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003980

Background Sulfasalazine-induced cytopenia, nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity is uncommon during long-term treatment. Some guidelines recommend 3 monthly monitoring blood tests indefinitely during long-term treatment while others recommend stopping m... Read More about Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation.

Cost-effectiveness of two online interventions supporting self-care for eczema for parents/carers and young people (2024)
Journal Article
Sach, T. H., Onoja, M., Clarke, H., Santer, M., Muller, I., Becque, T., …Thomas, K. S. (2024). Cost-effectiveness of two online interventions supporting self-care for eczema for parents/carers and young people. European Journal of Health Economics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-023-01649-9

Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of online behavioral interventions (EczemaCareOnline.org.uk) designed to support eczema self-care management for parents/carers and young people from an NHS perspective. Methods: Two within-trial economic... Read More about Cost-effectiveness of two online interventions supporting self-care for eczema for parents/carers and young people.

How to use the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema Core Outcome Set for atopic dermatitis trials: a users’ guide (2023)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Howells, L., Leshem, Y. A., Simpson, E. L., Apfelbacher, C., Spuls, P. I., …Stuart, B. L. (2024). How to use the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema Core Outcome Set for atopic dermatitis trials: a users’ guide. British Journal of Dermatology, 190(4), 527-535. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad497

Background The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has agreed upon the Core Outcome Set (COS) for use in atopic dermatitis (AD) clinical trials, but additional guidance is needed to maximize its uptake. Objectives To provid... Read More about How to use the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema Core Outcome Set for atopic dermatitis trials: a users’ guide.

Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation (2023)
Working Paper
Abhishek, A., Grainge, M. J., Card, T., Williams, H. C., Taal, M. W., Aithal, G. P., …Riley, R. D. Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation

Background Sulfasalazine induced cytopenia, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity is uncommon during long-term treatment. Some guidelines recommend three monthly monitoring blood-tests indefinitely while others recommend stopping monitoring after one ye... Read More about Risk-stratified monitoring for sulfasalazine toxicity: prognostic model development and validation.

Ex vivo assessment of basal cell carcinoma surgical margins in Mohs surgery by autofluorescence‐Raman spectroscopy: A pilot study (2023)
Journal Article
Boitor, R., Varma, S., Sharma, A., Elsheikh, S., Kulkarni, K., Eldib, K., …Notingher, I. (2023). Ex vivo assessment of basal cell carcinoma surgical margins in Mohs surgery by autofluorescence‐Raman spectroscopy: A pilot study. JEADV Clinical Practice, https://doi.org/10.1002/jvc2.336

Background: Autofluorescence (AF)‐Raman spectroscopy is a technology that can detect tumour tissue in surgically excised skin specimens. The technique does not require tissue fixation, staining, labelling or sectioning, and provides quantitative diag... Read More about Ex vivo assessment of basal cell carcinoma surgical margins in Mohs surgery by autofluorescence‐Raman spectroscopy: A pilot study.

Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment on COVID-19 vaccine response in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial (2023)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Peckham, N., Pade, C., Gibbons, J. M., Cureton, L., Francis, A., …Cook, J. A. (2023). Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment on COVID-19 vaccine response in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial. The Lancet Rheumatology, 6(2), e92-e104. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2665-9913%2823%2900298-9

Background: Methotrexate is the first-line treatment for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and reduces vaccine-induced immunity. We evaluated if a 2-week interruption of methotrexate treatment immediately after COVID-19 booster vaccination improv... Read More about Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment on COVID-19 vaccine response in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial.

Discontinuation of anti-TNF-alpha treatment due to blood test abnormalities and cost-effectiveness of alternate blood monitoring strategies (2023)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Stevenson, M. D., Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Evans, I., Alabas, O., …Williams, H. C. (in press). Discontinuation of anti-TNF-alpha treatment due to blood test abnormalities and cost-effectiveness of alternate blood monitoring strategies. British Journal of Dermatology, Article ljad430. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad430

Background: There is no evidence base supporting the use of six-monthly monitoring blood tests for the early detection of liver, blood, and renal toxicity during established anti-TNF-alpha treatment. Objectives: To evaluate the incidence... Read More about Discontinuation of anti-TNF-alpha treatment due to blood test abnormalities and cost-effectiveness of alternate blood monitoring strategies.

Two-week break in methotrexate treatment and COVID-19 vaccine response: a prospective, open label, two-arm parallel-group, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial (2023)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Peckham, N., Pade, C., Gibbons, J. M., Cureton, L., Francis, A., …Study investigators, V. (in press). Two-week break in methotrexate treatment and COVID-19 vaccine response: a prospective, open label, two-arm parallel-group, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Rheumatology,

Comparison of lotions, creams, gels and ointments for the treatment of childhood eczema: the BEE RCT (2023)
Journal Article
Ridd, M. J., Wells, S., MacNeill, S. J., Sanderson, E., Webb, D., Banks, J., …Santer, M. (2023). Comparison of lotions, creams, gels and ointments for the treatment of childhood eczema: the BEE RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 27(19), 1-120. https://doi.org/10.3310/gzqw6681

Background: Emollients are recommended for children with eczema (atopic eczema/dermatitis). A lack of head-to-head comparisons of the effectiveness and acceptability of the different types of emollients has resulted in a 'trial and error' approach to... Read More about Comparison of lotions, creams, gels and ointments for the treatment of childhood eczema: the BEE RCT.

Risk-stratified monitoring for thiopurine toxicity in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development, validation, and, health economic evaluation (2023)
Journal Article
Nakafero, G., Card, T., Grainge, M. J., Williams, H. C., Taal, M. W., Aithal, G. P., …Abhishek, A. (2023). Risk-stratified monitoring for thiopurine toxicity in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development, validation, and, health economic evaluation. eClinicalMedicine, 64, Article 102213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102213

Background: Patients established on thiopurines (e.g., azathioprine) are recommended to undergo three-monthly blood tests for the early detection of blood, liver, or kidney toxicity. These side-effects are uncommon during long-term treatment. We deve... Read More about Risk-stratified monitoring for thiopurine toxicity in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development, validation, and, health economic evaluation.

The long-term safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic dermatitis: A systematic review (2023)
Journal Article
Harvey, J., Lax, S. J., Lowe, A., Santer, M., Lawton, S., Langan, S. M., …Thomas, K. S. (2023). The long-term safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic dermatitis: A systematic review. Skin Health and Disease, 3(5), Article e268. https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.268

Background: Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are a first-line treatment for eczema, but there are concerns about their safety when used long-term. Objectives: To systematically review adverse effects associated with longer-term use of TCS for eczema. Me... Read More about The long-term safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic dermatitis: A systematic review.

Emollients for preventing atopic eczema: Cost‐effectiveness analysis of the BEEP trial (2023)
Journal Article
Sach, T. H., Lartey, S. T., Davies, C., Chalmers, J. R., Haines, R. H., Bradshaw, L. E., …Williams, H. C. (2023). Emollients for preventing atopic eczema: Cost‐effectiveness analysis of the BEEP trial. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 53(10), 1011-1019. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.14381

Background Recent discoveries have led to the suggestion that enhancing skin barrier from birth might prevent eczema and food allergy. Objective To determine the cost‐effectiveness of daily all‐over‐body application of emollient during the firs... Read More about Emollients for preventing atopic eczema: Cost‐effectiveness analysis of the BEEP trial.

The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) implementation roadmap (2023)
Journal Article
Leshem, Y. A., Simpson, E., Apfelbacher, C., Spuls, P., Thomas, K. S., Schmitt, J., …Williams, H. C. (2023). The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) implementation roadmap. British Journal of Dermatology, 189(6), 710-718. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad278

Background Core outcome sets (COS) are consensus-driven sets of minimum outcomes that should be measured and reported in all clinical trials. COS aim to reduce heterogeneity in outcome measurement and reporting, and selective outcome reporting. Imple... Read More about The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) implementation roadmap.

Implementation of the HOME core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic eczema—barriers and opportunities: the HOME IX meeting report (2023)
Journal Article
Jacobson, M. E., Thomas, K. S., Apfelbacher, C. J., Leshem, Y. A., Williams, H. C., Gerbens, L. A. A., …On behalf of the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) Initiative. (2023). Implementation of the HOME core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic eczema—barriers and opportunities: the HOME IX meeting report. Archives of Dermatological Research, 315, 2617-2622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-023-02647-w

The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative established a core outcome set (COS) for atopic eczema (AE) clinical trials in 2019. This set encompasses four core outcome domains and corresponding measurement instruments: clinical sign... Read More about Implementation of the HOME core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic eczema—barriers and opportunities: the HOME IX meeting report.

Risk stratified monitoring for methotrexate toxicity in immune mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development and validation using primary care data from the UK (2023)
Journal Article
Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Williams, H. C., Card, T., Taal, M. W., Aithal, G. P., …Abhishek, A. (2023). Risk stratified monitoring for methotrexate toxicity in immune mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development and validation using primary care data from the UK. BMJ, 381, Article e074678. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-074678

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a prognostic model to inform risk stratified decisions on frequency of monitoring blood tests during long term methotrexate treatment. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Electronic health records within th... Read More about Risk stratified monitoring for methotrexate toxicity in immune mediated inflammatory diseases: prognostic model development and validation using primary care data from the UK.

Is Vaccination Against COVID-19 Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flare? Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis Using the UK CPRD (2023)
Journal Article
Card, T. R., Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Mallen, C. D., Van-Tam, J. S. N., Williams, H. C., & Abhishek, A. (2023). Is Vaccination Against COVID-19 Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flare? Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis Using the UK CPRD. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 118(8), 1388-1394. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002205

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the association between vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare. METHODS: Patients with IBD vaccinated against COVID-19 who consulted for disease flare be... Read More about Is Vaccination Against COVID-19 Associated With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flare? Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis Using the UK CPRD.

Trends in eczema prevalence in children and adolescents: A Global Asthma Network Phase I Study (2023)
Journal Article
Langan, S. M., Mulick, A. R., Rutter, C. E., Silverwood, R., Asher, I., García‐Marcos, L., …Pearce, N. (2023). Trends in eczema prevalence in children and adolescents: A Global Asthma Network Phase I Study. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 53(3), 337-352. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.14276

Background: Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a major global public health issue with high prevalence and morbidity. Our goal was to evaluate eczema prevalence over time, using standardized methodology. Methods: The Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I st... Read More about Trends in eczema prevalence in children and adolescents: A Global Asthma Network Phase I Study.

Eczema Care Online behavioural interventions to support self-care for children and young people: two independent, pragmatic, randomised controlled trials (2022)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Muller, I., Becque, T., Stuart, B., Hooper, J., Steele, M., …Thomas, K. S. (2022). Eczema Care Online behavioural interventions to support self-care for children and young people: two independent, pragmatic, randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 379, Article e072007. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-072007

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of two online behavioural interventions, one for parents and carers and one for young people, to support eczema self-management. Design: Two independent, pragmatic, parallel group, unmasked, randomised contro... Read More about Eczema Care Online behavioural interventions to support self-care for children and young people: two independent, pragmatic, randomised controlled trials.

'Eczema shouldn't control you; you should control eczema': qualitative process evaluation of online behavioural interventions to support young people and parents/carers of children with eczema (2022)
Journal Article
Greenwell, K., Sivyer, K., Howells, L., Steele, M., Ridd, M. J., Roberts, A., …Muller, I. (2023). 'Eczema shouldn't control you; you should control eczema': qualitative process evaluation of online behavioural interventions to support young people and parents/carers of children with eczema. British Journal of Dermatology, 188(4), 506-513. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljac115

Background There is a lack of well-conducted randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of theory-based online interventions for eczema. To address these deficiencies, we previously developed and demonstrated the effectiveness of two o... Read More about 'Eczema shouldn't control you; you should control eczema': qualitative process evaluation of online behavioural interventions to support young people and parents/carers of children with eczema.

Is vaccination against COVID-19 associated with psoriasis or eczema flare? Self-controlled case series analysis using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (Aurum) (2022)
Journal Article
Adams, L., Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Card, T., Mallen, C. D., Van-Tam, J. S., …Abhishek, A. (2022). Is vaccination against COVID-19 associated with psoriasis or eczema flare? Self-controlled case series analysis using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (Aurum). British Journal of Dermatology, 188(2), 297-299. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljac061

Measuring Atopic Eczema Control and Itch Intensity in Clinical Practice: A Consensus Statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in Clinical Practice (HOME-CP) Initiative (2022)
Journal Article
Leshem, Y. A., Chalmers, J. R., Apfelbacher, C., Katoh, N., Gerbens, L. A., Schmitt, J., …Simpson, E. L. (2022). Measuring Atopic Eczema Control and Itch Intensity in Clinical Practice: A Consensus Statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in Clinical Practice (HOME-CP) Initiative. JAMA Dermatology, 158(12), 1429-1435. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4211

Importance: Measuring outcomes in clinical practice can aid patient care, quality improvement, and real-world evidence generation. The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) Clinical Practice initiative is developing a list of validated, feas... Read More about Measuring Atopic Eczema Control and Itch Intensity in Clinical Practice: A Consensus Statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in Clinical Practice (HOME-CP) Initiative.

Is vaccination against COVID-19 associated with autoimmune rheumatic disease flare? A self-controlled case series analysis (2022)
Journal Article
Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Card, T., Mallen, C. D., Nguyen Van-Tam, J. S., Williams, H. C., & Abhishek, A. (2023). Is vaccination against COVID-19 associated with autoimmune rheumatic disease flare? A self-controlled case series analysis. Rheumatology, 62(4), 1445-1450. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keac484

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) flare. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with AIRDs vaccinated against COVID-19 who consulted for dise... Read More about Is vaccination against COVID-19 associated with autoimmune rheumatic disease flare? A self-controlled case series analysis.

Is routine laboratory testing in healthy young patients taking isotretinoin necessary – a critically appraised topic (2022)
Journal Article
Affleck, A., Jackson, D., Williams, H. C., Chavez, P., & Albrecht, J. (2022). Is routine laboratory testing in healthy young patients taking isotretinoin necessary – a critically appraised topic. British Journal of Dermatology, 187(6), 857-865. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21840

Clinical question: Is monitoring of liver function, lipids and full blood count necessary in healthy people taking isotretinoin? Background: Routine blood testing was recommended in the original licence for Roaccutane™ (isotretinoin) in 1983. In r... Read More about Is routine laboratory testing in healthy young patients taking isotretinoin necessary – a critically appraised topic.

Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment versus continued treatment on COVID-19 booster vaccine immunity in adults with inflammatory conditions (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial (2022)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Boyton, R. J., Peckham, N., McKnight, Á., Coates, L. C., Bluett, J., …Cook, J. A. (2022). Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment versus continued treatment on COVID-19 booster vaccine immunity in adults with inflammatory conditions (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial. Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 10(9), 840-850. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600%2822%2900186-2

Background: Immunosuppressive treatments inhibit vaccine-induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated whether a 2-week interruption of methotrexate treatment immediately after the COVID-19 vaccine booster improved antibody responses against the... Read More about Effect of a 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment versus continued treatment on COVID-19 booster vaccine immunity in adults with inflammatory conditions (VROOM study): a randomised, open label, superiority trial.

On the definition of dermatological disease. Part 1: conceptual frameworks (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2022). On the definition of dermatological disease. Part 1: conceptual frameworks. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 47(10), 1805-1811. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15279

Little attention is paid to disease definition in dermatology and how such definitions come about, yet defining a disease is a fundamental step upon which all subsequent clinical management and prognostic judgements depend. Developing diagnostic crit... Read More about On the definition of dermatological disease. Part 1: conceptual frameworks.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for early detection of skin cancer in community and primary care settings: a systematic review (2022)
Journal Article
Jones, O. T., Matin, R. N., van der Schaar, M., Prathivadi Bhayankaram, K., Ranmuthu, C. K. I., Islam, M. S., …Walter, F. M. (2022). Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for early detection of skin cancer in community and primary care settings: a systematic review. The Lancet. Digital Health, 4(6), e466-e476. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500%2822%2900023-1

Skin cancers occur commonly worldwide. The prognosis and disease burden are highly dependent on the cancer type and disease stage at diagnosis. We systematically reviewed studies on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms that... Read More about Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for early detection of skin cancer in community and primary care settings: a systematic review.

Effectiveness and safety of lotion, cream, gel, and ointment emollients for childhood eczema: a pragmatic, randomised, phase 4, superiority trial (2022)
Journal Article
Ridd, M. J., Santer, M., MacNeill, S. J., Sanderson, E., Wells, S., Webb, D., …Thomas, K. S. (2022). Effectiveness and safety of lotion, cream, gel, and ointment emollients for childhood eczema: a pragmatic, randomised, phase 4, superiority trial. Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 6(8), 522-532. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642%2822%2900146-8

Background: To our knowledge, there are no trials comparing emollients commonly used for childhood eczema. We aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness and safety of the four main emollient types: lotions, creams, gels, and ointments. Methods: We d... Read More about Effectiveness and safety of lotion, cream, gel, and ointment emollients for childhood eczema: a pragmatic, randomised, phase 4, superiority trial.

Incidence and pattern of mycophenolate discontinuation associated with abnormal monitoring blood-test results: cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum (2022)
Journal Article
Nakafero, G., Grainge, M. J., Card, T., Mallen, C. D., Riley, R., Van Der Windt, D., …Abhishek, A. (2022). Incidence and pattern of mycophenolate discontinuation associated with abnormal monitoring blood-test results: cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum. Rheumatology Advances in Practice, 6(2), Article rkac046. https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkac046

Objective: The aim was to examine the incidence and pattern of MMF discontinuation associated with abnormal monitoring blood-test results. Methods: Data from people prescribed MMF for common inflammatory conditions in the Clinical Practice Research D... Read More about Incidence and pattern of mycophenolate discontinuation associated with abnormal monitoring blood-test results: cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum.

Effects of temporarily suspending low-dose methotrexate treatment for 2 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster on vaccine response in immunosuppressed adults with inflammatory conditions: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial and nested mechanistic substudy (Vaccine Response On/Off Methotrexate (VROOM) study) (2022)
Journal Article
Abhishek, A., Boyton, R. J., McKnight, Á., Coates, L. C., Bluett, J., Barber, V., …Cook, J. A. (2022). Effects of temporarily suspending low-dose methotrexate treatment for 2 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster on vaccine response in immunosuppressed adults with inflammatory conditions: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial and nested mechanistic substudy (Vaccine Response On/Off Methotrexate (VROOM) study). BMJ Open, 12(5), Article e062599. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062599

Introduction It is unknown if a temporary break in long-term immune-suppressive treatment after vaccination against COVID-19 improves vaccine response. The objective of this study was to evaluate if a 2-week interruption in low-dose weekly methotrexa... Read More about Effects of temporarily suspending low-dose methotrexate treatment for 2 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster on vaccine response in immunosuppressed adults with inflammatory conditions: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial and nested mechanistic substudy (Vaccine Response On/Off Methotrexate (VROOM) study).

Eczema Care Online: development and qualitative optimisation of an online behavioural intervention to support self-management in young people with eczema (2022)
Journal Article
Greenwell, K., Ghio, D., Sivyer, K., Steele, M., Teasdale, E., Ridd, M. J., …Muller, I. (2022). Eczema Care Online: development and qualitative optimisation of an online behavioural intervention to support self-management in young people with eczema. BMJ Open, 12(4), Article e056867. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056867

Objectives To describe the development of Eczema Care Online (ECO), an online behaviour change intervention for young people with eczema (phase I); and explore and optimise the acceptability of ECO among this target group using think-aloud interviews... Read More about Eczema Care Online: development and qualitative optimisation of an online behavioural intervention to support self-management in young people with eczema.

Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 2: education, training and capacity building (2022)
Journal Article
Layfield, C. P., Williams, H. C., & The UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. (2022). Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 2: education, training and capacity building. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 47(6), 1060-1067. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15132

In Part 1 of this 2-part review of the 20th anniversary of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UK DCTN), we described its role in developing and supporting clinical trial proposals, elaborating on structure, process and clinical trials activi... Read More about Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 2: education, training and capacity building.

Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions? (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2022). Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions?. British Journal of Dermatology, 186(4), 599-601. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20755

In the last editorial, I provided examples of research waste in dermatology and suggested that it was due to a system failure rather than just a few “bad apples”. Here, I focus on possible solutions, mainly in relation to clinical trials, building on... Read More about Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions?.

Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions? (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2022). Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions?. British Journal of Dermatology, 186(4), 599-601. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20755

In the last editorial, I provided examples of research waste in dermatology and suggested that it was due to a system failure rather than just a few “bad apples”. Here, I focus on possible solutions, mainly in relation to clinical trials, building on... Read More about Avoidable research waste in dermatology: what are the solutions?.

The HOME Core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic dermatitis (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., Schmitt, J., Thomas, K. S., Spuls, P. I., Simpson, E. L., Apfelbacher, C. J., …Boers, M. (2022). The HOME Core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic dermatitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 149(6), 1899-1911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2022.03.017

Core outcome sets are critically important outcomes that should be measured in clinical trials. Their absence in atopic dermatitis is a form of research waste and impedes combining evidence to inform patient care. Here, we articulate the rationale fo... Read More about The HOME Core outcome set for clinical trials of atopic dermatitis.

Classifying atopic dermatitis: a systematic review of phenotypes and associated characteristics (2022)
Journal Article
Bosma, A. L., Ascott, A., Iskandar, R., Farquhar, K., Matthewman, J., Langendam, M. W., …Middelkamp-Hup, M. A. (2022). Classifying atopic dermatitis: a systematic review of phenotypes and associated characteristics. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 36(6), 807-819. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.18008

Atopic dermatitis is a heterogeneous disease, accompanied by a wide variation in disease presentation and the potential to identify many phenotypes that may be relevant for prognosis and treatment. We aimed to systematically review previously reporte... Read More about Classifying atopic dermatitis: a systematic review of phenotypes and associated characteristics.

Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 1: Developing and delivering high-quality independent clinical trials (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., McPhee, M., Layfield, C., & The UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. (2022). Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 1: Developing and delivering high-quality independent clinical trials. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 47(6), 1048-1059. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15140

The UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UK DCTN) was formed in 2002 with the aim of developing and supporting high-quality independent national clinical trials that address prioritized research questions for people with skin disease. Its philosop... Read More about Celebrating 20 years of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network. Part 1: Developing and delivering high-quality independent clinical trials.

Response to ‘The role of curettage as an intervention for basal cell carcinoma’. Re. ‘Interventions for basal cell carcinoma: abridged Cochrane systematic review and GRADE assessments’: reply from the authors (2021)
Journal Article
Bath-Hextall, F. J., Thomson, J., Hogan, S., Leonardi-Bee, J., Williams, H. C., & Bath‐Hextall, F. (2022). Response to ‘The role of curettage as an intervention for basal cell carcinoma’. Re. ‘Interventions for basal cell carcinoma: abridged Cochrane systematic review and GRADE assessments’: reply from the authors. British Journal of Dermatology, 186(4), 751-752. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20950

Clinical examination for hyperlinear palms to determine filaggrin genotype: A diagnostic test accuracy study (2021)
Journal Article
Bradshaw, L. E., Haines, R. H., Thomas, K. S., Chalmers, J. R., Irvine, A. D., Williams, H. C., & Brown, S. J. (2021). Clinical examination for hyperlinear palms to determine filaggrin genotype: A diagnostic test accuracy study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 51(11), 1421-1428. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.14025

Background: Palmar hyperlinearity is a feature of ichthyosis vulgaris, the monogenic skin disorder caused by FLG loss-of-function mutations. Objective: To investigate how well the presence or absence of hyperlinear palms (HLP) detect FLG genotype in... Read More about Clinical examination for hyperlinear palms to determine filaggrin genotype: A diagnostic test accuracy study.

Patterns of Atopic Eczema Disease Activity from Birth through Midlife in 2 British Birth Cohorts (2021)
Journal Article
Abuabara, K., Ye, M., Margolis, D. J., Mcculloch, C. E., Mulick, A. R., Silverwood, R. J., …Langan, S. M. (2021). Patterns of Atopic Eczema Disease Activity from Birth through Midlife in 2 British Birth Cohorts. JAMA Dermatology, 157(10), 1191-1199. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.2489

Importance: Atopic eczema is characterized by a heterogenous waxing and waning course, with variable age of onset and persistence of symptoms. Distinct patterns of disease activity such as early-onset/resolving and persistent disease have been identi... Read More about Patterns of Atopic Eczema Disease Activity from Birth through Midlife in 2 British Birth Cohorts.

Safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic eczema: an umbrella review (2021)
Journal Article
Axon, E., Chalmers, J. R., Santer, M., Ridd, M. J., Lawton, S., Langan, S. M., …Thomas, K. S. (2021). Safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic eczema: an umbrella review. BMJ Open, 11(7), Article e046476. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046476

Objective An umbrella review summarising all safety data from systematic reviews of topical corticosteroids (TCS) in adults and children with atopic eczema. Methods Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Centre of Ev... Read More about Safety of topical corticosteroids in atopic eczema: an umbrella review.

Realising the full potential of data-enabled trials in the UK: a call for action (2021)
Journal Article
Sydes, M. R., Barbachano, Y., Bowman, L., Denwood, T., Farmer, A., Garfield-Birkbeck, S., …Valentine, J. (2021). Realising the full potential of data-enabled trials in the UK: a call for action. BMJ Open, 11(6), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043906

Rationale: Clinical trials are the gold standard for testing interventions. COVID-19 has further raised their public profile, and emphasised the need to deliver better, faster, more efficient trials for patient benefit. Considerable overlap exists be... Read More about Realising the full potential of data-enabled trials in the UK: a call for action.

Faculty Opinions Recommendation of [Scher JU and Schett G, Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021 17(2):119-124] (2021)
Other
Williams, H. (2021). Faculty Opinions Recommendation of [Scher JU and Schett G, Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021 17(2):119-124]

This is the best article I have ever read on the phenomenon of key opinion leaders (KOLs) – senior influencers who are paid by the pharmaceutical industry to influence prescribing by clinicians at meetings and through writing. The depth of analysis a... Read More about Faculty Opinions Recommendation of [Scher JU and Schett G, Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021 17(2):119-124].

Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped (2021)
Journal Article
Olabi, B., & Williams, H. C. (2021). Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 21(4), 386-393. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACI.0000000000000750

Purpose of review We provide readers with an evidence-informed opinion on current treatments for eczema (atopic dermatitis) with the intention of improving patient care. We suggest five treatment aspects that should be promoted and five that shou... Read More about Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped.

Developing the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework—a tool to help trialists design trials that better reflect the communities they serve (2021)
Journal Article
Treweek, S., Banister, K., Bower, P., Cotton, S., Devane, D., Gardner, H. R., …Witham, M. D. (2021). Developing the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework—a tool to help trialists design trials that better reflect the communities they serve. Trials, 22(1), Article 337. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05276-8

Background Ensuring that a trial is designed so that its participants reflect those who might benefit from the results, or be spared harms, is key to the potential benefits of the trial reaching all they should. This paper describes the process, f... Read More about Developing the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework—a tool to help trialists design trials that better reflect the communities they serve.

Interventions for basal cell carcinoma: abridged Cochrane systematic review and grade assessments (2021)
Journal Article
Thomson, J., Hogan, S., Leonardi?Bee, J., Williams, H., & Bath?Hextall, F. (2021). Interventions for basal cell carcinoma: abridged Cochrane systematic review and grade assessments. British Journal of Dermatology, 185(3), 499-511. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19809

Background Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the commonest cancer affecting white?skinned individuals, and worldwide incidence is increasing. Although rarely fatal, BCC is associated with significant morbidity and costs. Objectives To assess the eff... Read More about Interventions for basal cell carcinoma: abridged Cochrane systematic review and grade assessments.

Can atopic eczema and psoriasis coexist? A systematic review and meta?analysis (2021)
Journal Article
Cunliffe, A., Gran, S., Ali, U., Grindlay, D., Lax, S., Williams, H., & Burden-Teh, E. (2021). Can atopic eczema and psoriasis coexist? A systematic review and meta?analysis. Skin Health and Disease, 1(2), Article e29. https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.29

Importance: Previous studies report both co-existence and mutual exclusivity of atopic eczema (AE) and psoriasis, but these have not been appraised systematically. Knowledge of such disease association throws light on disease mechanisms and may influ... Read More about Can atopic eczema and psoriasis coexist? A systematic review and meta?analysis.

Clinical integration of fast Raman spectroscopy for Mohs micrographic surgery of basal cell carcinoma (2021)
Journal Article
Boitor, R., de Wolf, C., Weesie, F., Shipp, D. W., Varma, S., Veitch, D., …Notingher, I. (2021). Clinical integration of fast Raman spectroscopy for Mohs micrographic surgery of basal cell carcinoma. Biomedical Optics Express, 12(4), 2015-2026. https://doi.org/10.1364/boe.417896

We present the first clinical integration of a prototype device based on integrated auto-fluorescence imaging and Raman spectroscopy (Fast Raman device) for intra-operative assessment of surgical margins during Mohs micrographic surgery of basal cell... Read More about Clinical integration of fast Raman spectroscopy for Mohs micrographic surgery of basal cell carcinoma.

Association of frequent moisturizer use in early infancy with the development of food allergy (2021)
Journal Article
Perkin, M. R., Logan, K., Marrs, T., Radulovic, S., Craven, J., Boyle, R. J., …Flohr, C. (2021). Association of frequent moisturizer use in early infancy with the development of food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 147(3), 967-976.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.044

Background Food allergy is thought to develop through transcutaneous sensitization, especially in the presence of skin barrier impairment and inflammation. Regular moisturizer application to infant skin could potentially promote transcutaneous sensi... Read More about Association of frequent moisturizer use in early infancy with the development of food allergy.

Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy: a Cochrane systematic review and individual participant data meta?analysis (2021)
Journal Article
Kelleher, M. M., Cro, S., Van Vogt, E., Cornelius, V., Lodrup Carlsen, K. C., Skjerven, H. O., …Boyle, R. J. (2021). Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy: a Cochrane systematic review and individual participant data meta‐analysis. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 51(3), 402-418. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13847

Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy (2021)
Journal Article
Kelleher, M. M., Cro, S., Cornelius, V., Lodrup Carlsen, K. C., Skjerven, H. O., Rehbinder, E. M., …Boyle, R. J. (2021). Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy. Cochrane Library, 2021(2), Article CD013534. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd013534.pub2

Background Eczema and food allergy are common health conditions that usually begin in early childhood and often occur together in the same people. They can be associated with an impaired skin barrier in early infancy. It is unclear whether trying... Read More about Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy.

Supporting self-care for eczema: protocol for two randomised controlled trials of ECO (Eczema Care Online) interventions for young people and parents/carers (2021)
Journal Article
Muller, I., Stuart, B., Sach, T., Hooper, J., Wilczynska, S., Steele, M., …Santer, M. (2021). Supporting self-care for eczema: protocol for two randomised controlled trials of ECO (Eczema Care Online) interventions for young people and parents/carers. BMJ Open, 11(2), Article e045583. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045583

Introduction Eczema care requires management of triggers and various treatments. We developed two online behavioural interventions to support eczema care called ECO (Eczema Care Online) for young people and ECO for families. This protocol describes t... Read More about Supporting self-care for eczema: protocol for two randomised controlled trials of ECO (Eczema Care Online) interventions for young people and parents/carers.

Recommended core outcome instruments for health‐related quality of life, long‐term control and itch intensity in atopic eczema trials: results of the HOME VII consensus meeting (2021)
Journal Article
Thomas, K., Apfelbacher, C., Chalmers, J., Simpson, E., Spuls, P., Gerbens, L., …Katoh, N. (2021). Recommended core outcome instruments for health‐related quality of life, long‐term control and itch intensity in atopic eczema trials: results of the HOME VII consensus meeting. British Journal of Dermatology, 185(1), 139-146. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19751

Background: The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has established a core outcome set of domains for atopic eczema (AE) clinical trials. Previous consensus meetings have agreed on preferred instruments for clinician-reported si... Read More about Recommended core outcome instruments for health‐related quality of life, long‐term control and itch intensity in atopic eczema trials: results of the HOME VII consensus meeting.

Scoping the international impact from four independent national dermatology trials (2020)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., Rogers, N. K., Chalmers, J. R., & Thomas, K. S. (2021). Scoping the international impact from four independent national dermatology trials. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 46(4), 657-662. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.14506

Background: Research impact describes whether and how research results in wider benefits to society beyond academic publication. Little is known about translation of clinical trial research into dermatological practice. Aim: We scoped international i... Read More about Scoping the international impact from four independent national dermatology trials.

Home-based narrowband UVB, topical corticosteroid or combination for children and adults with vitiligo: HI-light vitiligo three-arm RCT (2020)
Journal Article
Batchelor, J. M., Thomas, K. S., Akram, P., Azad, J., Bewley, A., Chalmers, J. R., …Montgomery, A. A. (2020). Home-based narrowband UVB, topical corticosteroid or combination for children and adults with vitiligo: HI-light vitiligo three-arm RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 24(64), 1-164. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta24640

Background: Systematic reviews suggest that narrowband ultraviolet B light combined with treatments such as topical corticosteroids may be more effective than monotherapy for vitiligo. Objective: To explore the clinical effectiveness and cost-effecti... Read More about Home-based narrowband UVB, topical corticosteroid or combination for children and adults with vitiligo: HI-light vitiligo three-arm RCT.

A self-report questionnaire to detect hand dermatitis in nurses (2020)
Journal Article
Parsons, V., Williams, H. C., English, J., Llewellyn, J., Ntani, G., & Madan, I. (2020). A self-report questionnaire to detect hand dermatitis in nurses. Occupational Medicine, 70(9), 645-648. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqaa188

Background: Hand dermatitis is highly prevalent among nurses due to their frequent exposure to wet work. Providing cost-effective dermatological health surveillance for this occupational group presents a challenge to health service providers. Aims: T... Read More about A self-report questionnaire to detect hand dermatitis in nurses.

Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin (2020)
Journal Article
Thomson, J., Hogan, S., Leonardi-Bee, J., Williams, H. C., & Bath-Hextall, F. J. (2020). Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin. Cochrane Library, 2020, Article CD003412. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003412.pub3

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the commonest cancer affecting white-skinned individuals, and worldwide incidence is increasing. Although rarely fatal, BCC is associated with significant morbidity and costs. First-line treatment is usually... Read More about Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin.

An economic evaluation of the randomized controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home-based narrowband ultraviolet B for active and limited vitiligo (the HI-Light Vitiligo Trial)* (2020)
Journal Article
Sach, T., Thomas, K., Batchelor, J., Akram, P., Chalmers, J., Haines, R., …The UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network’s HI‐LIGHT Vitiligo Trial Team. (2021). An economic evaluation of the randomized controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home-based narrowband ultraviolet B for active and limited vitiligo (the HI-Light Vitiligo Trial)*. British Journal of Dermatology, 184(5), 840-848. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19554

Background: Economic evidence for vitiligo treatments is absent. Objectives: To determine the cost-effectiveness of (i) handheld narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) and (ii) a combination of topical corticosteroid (TCS) and NB-UVB compared with TCS alo... Read More about An economic evaluation of the randomized controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home-based narrowband ultraviolet B for active and limited vitiligo (the HI-Light Vitiligo Trial)*.

Randomised controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home?based narrowband UVB for active and limited vitiligo: results of the HI?Light Vitiligo trial (2020)
Journal Article
Thomas, K., Batchelor, J. M., Akram, P., Chalmers, J. R., Haines, R., Meakin, G. D., …Montgomery, A. A. (2021). Randomised controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home‐based narrowband UVB for active and limited vitiligo: results of the HI‐Light Vitiligo trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 184(5), 828-839. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19592

Background Evidence for the effectiveness of vitiligo treatments is limited. Objectives To determine effectiveness of (a) hand‐held narrowband‐UVB (NB‐UVB) and (b) combination of potent topical corticosteroid (TCS) and NB‐UVB compared to TCS, fo... Read More about Randomised controlled trial of topical corticosteroid and home?based narrowband UVB for active and limited vitiligo: results of the HI?Light Vitiligo trial.

Personalised prediction of daily eczema severity scores using a mechanistic machine learning model (2020)
Journal Article
Hurault, G., Domínguez‐Hüttinger, E., Langan, S. M., Williams, H. C., & Tanaka, R. J. (2020). Personalised prediction of daily eczema severity scores using a mechanistic machine learning model. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 50(11), 1258-1266. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13717

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with periods of flares and remission. Designing personalised treatment strategies for AD is challenging, given the apparent unpredictability and large variation in AD symptom... Read More about Personalised prediction of daily eczema severity scores using a mechanistic machine learning model.

Two-by-two factorial randomised study within a trial (SWAT) to evaluate strategies for follow-up in a randomised prevention trial (2020)
Journal Article
Bradshaw, L., Montgomery, A. A., Williams, H. C., Chalmers, J., & Haines, R. (2020). Two-by-two factorial randomised study within a trial (SWAT) to evaluate strategies for follow-up in a randomised prevention trial. Trials, 21, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04373-4

Background Failure to collect outcome data in randomised trials can result in bias and loss of statistical power. Further evaluations of strategies to increase retention are required. We assessed the effectiveness of two strategies for retention in... Read More about Two-by-two factorial randomised study within a trial (SWAT) to evaluate strategies for follow-up in a randomised prevention trial.

Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis (2020)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., & Chalmers, J. (2020). Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 100, 380-388. https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3516

Despite advances in atopic dermatitis (AD) treatments, research into AD prevention has been slow. Systematic reviews of prevention strategies promoting exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding, or interventions that reduce ingested or airborne allergens... Read More about Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis.

Future of evidence ecosystem series: 3. From an evidence synthesis ecosystem to an evidence ecosystem (2020)
Journal Article
Craig, J. C., Ravaud, P., Créquit, P., Williams, H. C., Meerpohl, J., & Boutron, I. (2020). Future of evidence ecosystem series: 3. From an evidence synthesis ecosystem to an evidence ecosystem. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 123, 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.01.027

The “one-off” approach of systematic reviews is no longer sustainable; we need to move toward producing “living” evidence syntheses (i.e., comprehensive, based on rigorous methods, and up-to-date). This implies rethinking the evidence synthesis ecosy... Read More about Future of evidence ecosystem series: 3. From an evidence synthesis ecosystem to an evidence ecosystem.

Future of evidence ecosystem series: 2. Current opportunities and need for better tools and methods (2020)
Journal Article
Créquit, P., Boutron, I., Meerpohl, J., Williams, H., Craig, J., & Ravaud, P. (2020). Future of evidence ecosystem series: 2. Current opportunities and need for better tools and methods. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 123, 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.01.023

To become user-driven and more useful for decision-making, the current evidence synthesis ecosystem requires significant changes (Paper 1.Future of evidence ecosystem series). Reviewers have access to new sources of data (clinical trial registries, p... Read More about Future of evidence ecosystem series: 2. Current opportunities and need for better tools and methods.

Future of evidence ecosystem series: 1. Introduction — Evidence synthesis ecosystem needs dramatic change (2020)
Journal Article
Craig, J. C., Boutron, I., Créquit, P., Williams, H., Meerpohl, J., Craig, J. C., & Ravaud, P. (2020). Future of evidence ecosystem series: 1. Introduction — Evidence synthesis ecosystem needs dramatic change. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 123, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.01.024

To make healthcare decisions, patients, clinicians, clinical practice guideline developers, researchers, policy-makers and health system managers need a comprehensive, critical, accessible, actionable and up-to-date synthesis of all available evidenc... Read More about Future of evidence ecosystem series: 1. Introduction — Evidence synthesis ecosystem needs dramatic change.

Daily emollient during infancy for prevention of eczema: the BEEP randomised controlled trial (2020)
Journal Article
Chalmers, J. R., Haines, R. H., Bradshaw, L. E., Montgomery, A. A., Thomas, K. S., Brown, S. J., …Williams, H. C. (2020). Daily emollient during infancy for prevention of eczema: the BEEP randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 395(10228), 962-972. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2819%2932984-8

Background Skin barrier dysfunction precedes eczema development. We tested whether daily use of emollient in the first year could prevent eczema in high-risk children. Methods We did a multicentre, pragmatic, parallel-group, randomised contr... Read More about Daily emollient during infancy for prevention of eczema: the BEEP randomised controlled trial.

An algorithm for diagnosing IgE-mediated food allergy in study participants who do not undergo food challenge (2020)
Journal Article
Kelleher, M. M., Montgomery, A. A., Jay, N., Perkin, M. R., Haines, R. H., Batt, R., …Boyle, R. J. (2020). An algorithm for diagnosing IgE-mediated food allergy in study participants who do not undergo food challenge. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 50(3), 334-342. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13577

© 2020 The Authors. Clinical & Experimental Allergy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Background: Food allergy diagnosis in clinical studies can be challenging. Oral food challenges (OFC) are time-consuming, carry some risk and may, therefore,... Read More about An algorithm for diagnosing IgE-mediated food allergy in study participants who do not undergo food challenge.

Algorithm based smartphone apps to assess risk of skin cancer in adults: systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies (2020)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Freeman, K., Chuchu, N., Takwoingi, Y., Bayliss, S. E., Matin, R. N., …Deeks, J. J. (2020). Algorithm based smartphone apps to assess risk of skin cancer in adults: systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies. BMJ, 368, Article m127. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m127

© Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. Objective To examine the validity and findings of studies that examine the accuracy of algorithm based smartphone applications ("apps") to assess risk of skin cancer in suspicious skin lesions. Design... Read More about Algorithm based smartphone apps to assess risk of skin cancer in adults: systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies.

A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurse working in the National Health Service: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial (2020)
Journal Article
Madan, I., Parsons, V., Ntani, G., Coggon, D., Wright, A., English, J., …Williams, H. C. (2020). A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurse working in the National Health Service: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 183(3), 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.18862

Background Occupational hand dermatitis poses a serious risk for nurses. Objectives To evaluate the clinical and cost?effectiveness of a complex intervention in reducing the prevalence of hand dermatitis in nurses Trial design Cluster random... Read More about A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurse working in the National Health Service: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Measuring atopic eczema symptoms in clinical practice: The first consensus statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in clinical practice initiative (2020)
Journal Article
Leshem, Y. A., Chalmers, J. R., Apfelbacher, C., Furue, M., Gerbens, L. A., Prinsen, C. A., …Simpson, E. L. (2020). Measuring atopic eczema symptoms in clinical practice: The first consensus statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in clinical practice initiative. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 82(5), 1181-1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.12.055

Background: Measuring patient-centered outcomes in clinical practice is valuable for monitoring patients and advancing real-world research. A new initiative from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) group aims to recommend what might be... Read More about Measuring atopic eczema symptoms in clinical practice: The first consensus statement from the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema in clinical practice initiative.

Best emollients for eczema (BEE) – comparing four types of emollients in children with eczema: protocol for randomised trial and nested qualitative study (2019)
Journal Article
Ridd, M. J., Wells, S., Edwards, L., Santer, M., MacNeill, S., Sanderson, E., …Thomas, K. S. (2019). Best emollients for eczema (BEE) – comparing four types of emollients in children with eczema: protocol for randomised trial and nested qualitative study. BMJ Open, 9(11), Article e033387. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033387

Introduction Atopic dermatitis/eczema affects around 20% of children and is characterised by inflamed, dry, itchy skin. Guidelines recommend ‘leave-on’ emollients that are applied directly to the skin to add or trap moisture and used regularly, they... Read More about Best emollients for eczema (BEE) – comparing four types of emollients in children with eczema: protocol for randomised trial and nested qualitative study.

A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurses working in health care: the SCIN cluster RCT (2019)
Journal Article
Madan, I., Parsons, V., Ntani, G., Wright, A., English, J., Coggon, D., …Williams, H. (2019). A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurses working in health care: the SCIN cluster RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 23(58), 1-92. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta23580

BACKGROUND: Although strategies have been developed to minimise the risk of occupational hand dermatitis in nurses, their clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The Skin Care Intervention in Nurses trial tested the... Read More about A behaviour change package to prevent hand dermatitis in nurses working in health care: the SCIN cluster RCT.

Interventions to reduce Staphylococcus aureus in the management of eczema (2019)
Journal Article
George, S. M., Karanovic, S., Harrison, D. A., Rani, A., Birnie, A. J., Bath-Hextall, F. J., …Williams, H. C. (2019). Interventions to reduce Staphylococcus aureus in the management of eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(10), 145. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd003871.pub3

© 2019 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Background Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can cause secondary infection in eczema, and may promote inflammation in eczema that does not look infected. There is no standard i... Read More about Interventions to reduce Staphylococcus aureus in the management of eczema.

Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Re-excision and Recurrence Rates in the Netherlands Between 1989 and 2016 (2019)
Journal Article
van Lee, C. B., Kan, W. C., Gran, S., Mooyaart, A., Mureau, M. A., Williams, H., …Hollestein, L. M. (2019). Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Re-excision and Recurrence Rates in the Netherlands Between 1989 and 2016. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 99(12), 1160-1165. https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3287

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare soft tissue tumour with a very low (less than 0.5%) rate of metastasis. Rates of re-excision and recurrence were determined using data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry between 1989 and 2016. Of the 1,890... Read More about Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Re-excision and Recurrence Rates in the Netherlands Between 1989 and 2016.

Ultrasound, CT, MRI, or PET-CT for staging and re-staging of adults with cutaneous melanoma (2019)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Ferrante Di Ruffano, L., Takwoingi, Y., Cheung, S. T., Nathan, P., Matin, R. N., …Williams, H. C. (2019). Ultrasound, CT, MRI, or PET-CT for staging and re-staging of adults with cutaneous melanoma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(7), Article CD012806. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012806.pub2

© 2019 The Cochrane Collaboration. Background Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, with the potential to metastasise to other parts of the body via the lymphatic system and the bloodstream. Melanoma accounts for a small percen... Read More about Ultrasound, CT, MRI, or PET-CT for staging and re-staging of adults with cutaneous melanoma.

Clinical onset of atopic eczema: results from two nationally representative British birth cohorts followed through mid-life (2019)
Journal Article
Abubara, K., Ye, M., McCulloch, C. E., Sullivan, A., Margolis, D. J., Strachan, D. P., …Langan, S. M. (2019). Clinical onset of atopic eczema: results from two nationally representative British birth cohorts followed through mid-life. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 144(3), 710–719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2019.05.040

Background Atopic eczema onset is described primarily in early childhood; the frequency and characteristics of adult-onset disease remain controversial. Objective To determine the proportion of individuals who report atopic eczema symptoms between... Read More about Clinical onset of atopic eczema: results from two nationally representative British birth cohorts followed through mid-life.

Different strategies for using topical corticosteroids in people with eczema (2019)
Journal Article
Chalmers, J. R., Axon, E., Harvey, J., Santer, M., Ridd, M. J., Lawton, S., …Thomas, K. S. (2019). Different strategies for using topical corticosteroids in people with eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(6), Article CD013356. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013356

© 2019 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To establish the effectiveness and safety of different ways of using topical corticoster... Read More about Different strategies for using topical corticosteroids in people with eczema.

The burden of childhood atopic dermatitis in the primary care setting: a report from the Meta-LARC Consortium (2019)
Journal Article
Al-Naqeeb, J., Danner, S., Fagnan, L. J., Ramsey, K., Michaels, L., Mitchell, J., …Simpson, E. L. (2019). The burden of childhood atopic dermatitis in the primary care setting: a report from the Meta-LARC Consortium. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 32(2), 191-200. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2019.02.180225

Background: Little is known about the burden of AD encountered in U.S. primary care practices and the frequency and type of skin care practices routinely used in children. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of AD and allergic comorbidities in... Read More about The burden of childhood atopic dermatitis in the primary care setting: a report from the Meta-LARC Consortium.

Association between topical corticosteroid use and type 2 diabetes in two European population-based adult cohorts (2019)
Journal Article
Andersen, Y. M., Egeberg, A., Ban, L., Gran, S., Williams, H. C., Francis, N. A., …Thyssen, J. P. (2019). Association between topical corticosteroid use and type 2 diabetes in two European population-based adult cohorts. Diabetes Care, 42(6), 1095-1103. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc18-2158

Background Topical corticosteroids (CS) are commonly used to treat inflammatory skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis. While topical CS package inserts describe hyperglycaemia and glycosuria as adverse drug reactions, it is unclear whether... Read More about Association between topical corticosteroid use and type 2 diabetes in two European population-based adult cohorts.

Navigating the landscape of core outcome set development in dermatology (2019)
Journal Article
Prinsen, C. A., Spuls, P. I., Kottner, J., Thomas, K. S., Apfelbacher, C., Chalmers, J. R., …Schmitt, J. (2019). Navigating the landscape of core outcome set development in dermatology. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 81(1), 297-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.03.009

© 2019 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. The development of core outcome sets (COSs; ie, a minimum set of core outcomes that should be measured and reported in all trials or in clinical practice for a specific condition) in dermatology is increas... Read More about Navigating the landscape of core outcome set development in dermatology.

Cochrane reviews and dermatological trials outcome concordance: why Core Outcome Sets could make trial results more usable (2018)
Journal Article
Schmitt, J., Lange, T., Kottner, J., Prinsen, C. A. C., Weberschock, T., Hahnel, E., …Cochrane Skin Core Outcome Set Initiative (CS-COUSIN). (2019). Cochrane reviews and dermatological trials outcome concordance: why Core Outcome Sets could make trial results more usable. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 139(5), 1045-1053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2018.11.019

Evidence-based healthcare requires that relevant outcomes for patients are included in clinical trials which investigating treatment effects allowing subsequent systematic reviews to summarize all relevant evidence to guide clinical practice. Current... Read More about Cochrane reviews and dermatological trials outcome concordance: why Core Outcome Sets could make trial results more usable.

Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosing cutaneous melanoma in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Saleh, D., Chuchu, N., Bayliss, S. E., Patel, L., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosing cutaneous melanoma in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013190. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013190

Background: Melanoma has one of the fastest rising incidence rates of any cancer. It accounts for a small percentage of skin cancer cases but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. Early detection and treatment is key to improving sur... Read More about Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosing cutaneous melanoma in adults.

Visual inspection for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Grainge, M. J., Chuchu, N., Ferrante di Ruffano, L., Matin, R. N., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Visual inspection for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013194. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013194

Background: Melanoma has one of the fastest rising incidence rates of any cancer. It accounts for a small percentage of skin cancer cases but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. History-taking and visual inspection of a suspicious... Read More about Visual inspection for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma in adults.

High frequency ultrasound for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Bamber, J., Chuchu, N., Bayliss, S. E., Takwoingi, Y., Davenport, C., …Williams, H. C. (2018). High frequency ultrasound for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013188. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013188

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high risk skin cancers which have the potential to metast... Read More about High frequency ultrasound for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults.

Computer assisted diagnosis techniques (dermoscopy and spectroscopy-based) for diagnosing skin cancer in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Ferrante di Ruffano, L., Takwoingi, Y., Dinnes, J., Chuchu, N., Bayliss, S. E., Davenport, C., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Computer assisted diagnosis techniques (dermoscopy and spectroscopy-based) for diagnosing skin cancer in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013186. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013186

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are high‐risk skin cancers which have the potentia... Read More about Computer assisted diagnosis techniques (dermoscopy and spectroscopy-based) for diagnosing skin cancer in adults.

Optical coherence tomography for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Ferrante di Ruffano, L., Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Chuchu, N., Bayliss, S. E., Davenport, C., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Optical coherence tomography for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013189

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high-risk skin cancers, which have the potential to meta... Read More about Optical coherence tomography for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults.

Are environmental factors for atopic eczema in ISAAC Phase Three due to reverse causation? (2018)
Journal Article
Rutter, C., Silverwood, R. J., Williams, H. C., Elwood, P., Asher, I., Garcia-Marcos, L., …ISAAC Phase Three Group. (2019). Are environmental factors for atopic eczema in ISAAC Phase Three due to reverse causation?. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 139(5), 1023-1036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2018.08.035

Some previously described environmental associations for atopic eczema (AE) may be due to reverse causation. We explored the role of reverse causation by comparing individual- and school-level results for multiple AE risk factors. ISAAC Phase Thre... Read More about Are environmental factors for atopic eczema in ISAAC Phase Three due to reverse causation?.

Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosising keratinocyte skin cancers in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Chuchu, N., Saleh, D., Bayliss, S. E., Takwoingi, Y., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosising keratinocyte skin cancers in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), 1-154. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013191

Background Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is important to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually a localised skin cancer but with potential to infiltrate and damag... Read More about Reflectance confocal microscopy for diagnosising keratinocyte skin cancers in adults.

Smartphone applications for triaging adults with skin lesions that are suspicious for melanoma (2018)
Journal Article
Chuchu, N., Takwoingi, Y., Dinnes, J., Matin, R. N., Bassett, O., Moreau, J. F., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Smartphone applications for triaging adults with skin lesions that are suspicious for melanoma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Article CD013192. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013192

Background: Melanoma accounts for a small proportion of all skin cancer cases but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Early detection and treatment can improve survival. Smartphone applications are readily accessible and po... Read More about Smartphone applications for triaging adults with skin lesions that are suspicious for melanoma.

Visual inspection and dermoscopy, alone or in combination, for diagnosing keratinocyte skin cancers in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Chuchu, N., Matin, R. N., Wong, K. Y., Aldridge, R. B., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Visual inspection and dermoscopy, alone or in combination, for diagnosing keratinocyte skin cancers in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD011901. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011901.pub2

© 2018 The Cochrane Collaboration. Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is important to guide appropriate management, to reduce morbidity and to improve survival. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is almost always a localised skin c... Read More about Visual inspection and dermoscopy, alone or in combination, for diagnosing keratinocyte skin cancers in adults.

Exfoliative cytology for the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma and other skin cancers in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Ferrante di Ruffano, L., Dinnes, J., Chuchu, N., Bayliss, S. E., Takwoingi, Y., Davenport, C., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Exfoliative cytology for the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma and other skin cancers in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013187. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013187

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to reduce morbidity and improve survival. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised to the skin with potential to infiltrate and dama... Read More about Exfoliative cytology for the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma and other skin cancers in adults.

Teledermatology for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Chuchu, N., Dinnes, J., Takwoingi, Y., Matin, R. N., Bayliss, S. E., Davenport, C., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Teledermatology for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD013193. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013193

Background: Early accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high risk skin cancers which have the potential to metast... Read More about Teledermatology for the diagnosis of skin cancer in adults.

Dermoscopy, with and without visual inspection, for the diagnosis of melanoma in adults (2018)
Journal Article
Dinnes, J., Deeks, J. J., Chuchu, N., Ferrante di Ruffano, L., Matin, R. N., Thomson, D. R., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Dermoscopy, with and without visual inspection, for the diagnosis of melanoma in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(12), Article CD011902. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011902.pub2

Background: Melanoma has one of the fastest rising incidence rates of any cancer. It accounts for a small percentage of skin cancer cases but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. Although history-taking and visual inspection of a su... Read More about Dermoscopy, with and without visual inspection, for the diagnosis of melanoma in adults.

Early aggressive intervention for infantile atopic dermatitis to prevent development of food allergy: a multicenter, investigator-blinded, randomized, parallel group controlled trial (PACI Study): protocol for a randomized controlled trial (2018)
Journal Article
Yamamoto-Hanada, K., Kobayashi, T., Williams, H. C., Mikami, M., Saito-Abe, M., Morita, K., …Ohya, Y. (2018). Early aggressive intervention for infantile atopic dermatitis to prevent development of food allergy: a multicenter, investigator-blinded, randomized, parallel group controlled trial (PACI Study): protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Clinical and Translational Allergy, 8, Article 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13601-018-0233-8

Background: Atopic dermatitis is the first clinical manifestation of the atopic march, with the highest incidence in the first year of life. Those affected often go on to develop other allergic diseases including food allergy, asthma, and allergic rh... Read More about Early aggressive intervention for infantile atopic dermatitis to prevent development of food allergy: a multicenter, investigator-blinded, randomized, parallel group controlled trial (PACI Study): protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (2018)
Journal Article
GBD 2017 DALYs and HALE Collaborators, Bisanzio, D., Shokraneh, F., & Williams, H. (2018). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet, 392(10159), 1859-1922. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2818%2932335-3

Background: How long one lives, how many years of life are spent in good and poor health, and how the population's state of health and leading causes of disability change over time all have implications for policy, planning, and provision of services... Read More about Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

Adding emollient bath additives to standard eczema management for children with eczema: the BATHE RCT (2018)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Rumsby, K., Ridd, M. J., Francis, N. A., Stuart, B., Chorozoglou, M., …Little, P. (2018). Adding emollient bath additives to standard eczema management for children with eczema: the BATHE RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 22(57), 1-116. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta22570

Plain English Summary Eczema is very common in children and can have a significant impact, causing itching and sleep problems. The main treatments are emollients, which are used to moisturise the skin, and steroid creams or ointments to treat flare-... Read More about Adding emollient bath additives to standard eczema management for children with eczema: the BATHE RCT.

Feasibility of weekly participant‐reported data collection in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in primary care: experiences from the BATHE trial (Bath Additives for the Treatment of cHildhood Eczema) (2018)
Journal Article
Stuart, B., Rumsby, K., Santer, M., Ridd, M. J., Francis, N. A., Chorozoglou, M., …Little, P. (2018). Feasibility of weekly participant‐reported data collection in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in primary care: experiences from the BATHE trial (Bath Additives for the Treatment of cHildhood Eczema). Trials, 19, Article 582. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2962-3

Background: Patient‐reported outcomes measures in clinical trials ensure that evaluations of effectiveness focus on outcomes that are important to patients. In relapsing‐remitting conditions such as eczema, repeated measurements may allow a more accu... Read More about Feasibility of weekly participant‐reported data collection in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in primary care: experiences from the BATHE trial (Bath Additives for the Treatment of cHildhood Eczema).

Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 (2018)
Journal Article
Steel, N., Ford, J. A., Newton, J. N., Davis, A. C. J., Vos, T., Naghavi, M., …Murray, C. J. L. (2018). Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet, 392(10158), 1647-1661. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2818%2932207-4

Background Previous studies have reported national and regional Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates for the UK. Because of substantial variation in health within the UK, action to improve it requires comparable estimates of disease burden and r... Read More about Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Development of a core outcome set for therapeutic clinical trials enrolling dogs with atopic dermatitis (COSCAD’18) (2018)
Journal Article
Olivry, T., Bensignor, E., Favrot, C., Griffin, C. E., Hill, P. B., Mueller, R. S., …Williams, H. C. (2018). Development of a core outcome set for therapeutic clinical trials enrolling dogs with atopic dermatitis (COSCAD’18). BMC Veterinary Research, 14, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1569-y

Background: For decades, the efficacy of interventions in clinical trials enrolling dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD) relied on heterogeneous evaluations of skin lesions and pruritus using unvalidated tools. Although some instruments for clinical sign... Read More about Development of a core outcome set for therapeutic clinical trials enrolling dogs with atopic dermatitis (COSCAD’18).

The development of a protocol for diagnosing hand dermatitis from photographic images (2018)
Journal Article
Parsons, V., Williams, H., English, J., Llewellyn, J., Ntani, G., & Madan, I. (2018). The development of a protocol for diagnosing hand dermatitis from photographic images. Contact Dermatitis, 79(5), 270-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13053

Background: A hand photography protocol was needed to ascertain the presence and severity of dermatitis in a trial testing the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention to prevent hand dermatitis in nurses. Methods: We developed the protocol... Read More about The development of a protocol for diagnosing hand dermatitis from photographic images.

What’s new in psoriasis treatment? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015 (2018)
Journal Article
Foulkes, A., Ferguson, F., Grindlay, D. J., Williams, H. C., Griffiths, C., & Warren, R. (2018). What’s new in psoriasis treatment? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 43(7), 759-765. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.13601

This review provides a summary of key findings from 27 systematic reviews of 51 articles first published or indexed during 2015, focusing on the treatment of psoriasis as well as precision medicine in psoriasis. Evidence supports weight loss interven... Read More about What’s new in psoriasis treatment? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015.

Standardized reporting of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM): a recommendation by the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) Initiative (2018)
Journal Article
Grinich, E. E., Schmitt, J., Küster, D., Spuls, P. I., Williams, H. C., Chalmers, J. R., …Simpson, E. L. (2018). Standardized reporting of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM): a recommendation by the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) Initiative. British Journal of Dermatology, 179(2), 540-541. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16732

Emollient bath additives for the treatment of childhood eczema (BATHE): multi-centre pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness (2018)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Ridd, M. J., Francis, N. A., Stuart, B., Rumsby, K., Chorozoglou, M., …Little, P. (2018). Emollient bath additives for the treatment of childhood eczema (BATHE): multi-centre pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness. BMJ, 361, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k1332

Objectives: To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of including emollient bath additives in the management of childhood eczema. Trial design: Pragmatic randomised open-label superiority trial with two parallel groups. Setting and recrui... Read More about Emollient bath additives for the treatment of childhood eczema (BATHE): multi-centre pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Interventions for preventing occupational irritant hand dermatitis (Review) (2018)
Journal Article
Bauer, A., Rönsch, H., Elsner, P., Dittmar, D., Bennett, C., Schuttelaar, M. A., …Williams, H. C. (in press). Interventions for preventing occupational irritant hand dermatitis (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004414.pub3

Background: Occupational irritant hand dermatitis (OIHD) causes significant functional impairment, disruption of work, and discomfort in the working population. Different preventive measures such as protective gloves, barrier creams and moisturisers... Read More about Interventions for preventing occupational irritant hand dermatitis (Review).

Report from the fifth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative) (2018)
Journal Article
Chalmers, J., Thomas, K., Apfelbacher, C., Williams, H., Prinsen, C., Spuls, P., …Zaniboni, M. (2018). Report from the fifth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative). British Journal of Dermatology, 178(5), e332-e341. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16543

This is the report from the fifth meeting of the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema initiative (HOME V). The meeting was held on 12–14 June 2017 in Nantes, France, with 81 participants. The main aims of the meeting were (i) to achieve consensus... Read More about Report from the fifth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative).

Home interventions and light therapy for treatment of vitiligo (HI-Light Vitiligo Trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (2018)
Journal Article
Haines, R. H., Thomas, K. S., Montgomery, A. A., Ravenscroft, J. C., Akram, P., Chalmers, J., …Batchelor, J. M. (2018). Home interventions and light therapy for treatment of vitiligo (HI-Light Vitiligo Trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open, 8(4), Article e018649. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018649

Vitiligo is a condition resulting in white patches on the skin. People with vitiligo can suffer from low self-esteem, psychological disturbance and diminished quality of life. Vitiligo is often poorly managed, partly due to lack of high quality evide... Read More about Home interventions and light therapy for treatment of vitiligo (HI-Light Vitiligo Trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Core outcome sets in dermatology: report from the second meeting of the International Cochrane Skin Group Core Outcome Set Initiative (2018)
Journal Article
Kottner, J., Jacobi, L., Hahnel, E., Alam, M., Beeckman, D., Busard, C., …Schmitt, J. (2018). Core outcome sets in dermatology: report from the second meeting of the International Cochrane Skin Group Core Outcome Set Initiative. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(4), Article e279-e285. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16324

Results of clinical trials are the most important information source for generating external clinical evidence. The use of different outcomes across trials, which investigate similar interventions for similar patient groups, significantly limits the... Read More about Core outcome sets in dermatology: report from the second meeting of the International Cochrane Skin Group Core Outcome Set Initiative.

Doxycycline compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with bullous pemphigoid: cost-effectiveness analysis of the BLISTER trial (2018)
Journal Article
Mason, J. M., Chalmers, J., Godec, T. R., Nunn, A. J., Kirtschig, G., Wojnarowska, F., …Williams, H. C. (in press). Doxycycline compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with bullous pemphigoid: cost-effectiveness analysis of the BLISTER trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 178, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16006

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering skin disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Doxycycline and prednisolone to treat bullous pemphigoid were compared within a randomised controlled trial (RCT).... Read More about Doxycycline compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with bullous pemphigoid: cost-effectiveness analysis of the BLISTER trial.

Long-term management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with dupilumab and concomitant topical corticosteroids (LIBERTY AD CHRONOS): a critical appraisal (2018)
Journal Article
Thomson, J., Wernham, A., & Williams, H. C. (2018). Long-term management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with dupilumab and concomitant topical corticosteroids (LIBERTY AD CHRONOS): a critical appraisal. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(4), 897-902. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16317

Aim Blauvelt et al. (The Lancet 2017; 389: 2287-303) aimed to compare the long-term efficacy and safety of dupilumab with medium-potency topical corticosteroids (TCS) versus placebo with TCS in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD)... Read More about Long-term management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with dupilumab and concomitant topical corticosteroids (LIBERTY AD CHRONOS): a critical appraisal.

Automated multimodal spectral histopathology for quantitative diagnosis of residual tumour during basal cell carcinoma surgery (2017)
Journal Article
Boitor, R., Kong, K., Shipp, D., Varma, S., Koloydenko, A., Kusum, K., …Ioan, N. (in press). Automated multimodal spectral histopathology for quantitative diagnosis of residual tumour during basal cell carcinoma surgery. Biomedical Optics Express, 8(12), https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.8.005749

Multimodal spectral histopathology (MSH), an optical technique combining tissue auto-fluorescence (AF) imaging and Raman micro-spectroscopy (RMS), was previously proposed for detection of residual basal cell carcinoma (BCC) at the surface of surgical... Read More about Automated multimodal spectral histopathology for quantitative diagnosis of residual tumour during basal cell carcinoma surgery.

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of daily all over body application of emollient during the first year of life for preventing atopic eczema in high risk children (The BEEP trial): protocol for a randomised controlled trial (2017)
Journal Article
Chalmers, J. R., Haines, R. H., Mitchell, E. J., Thomas, K. S., Brown, S. J., Ridd, M., …Williams, H. C. (2017). Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of daily all over body application of emollient during the first year of life for preventing atopic eczema in high risk children (The BEEP trial): protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 18(1), Article 343. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-2031-3

Background: Atopic eczema (AE) is a common skin problem that impairs quality of life and is associated with the development of other atopic diseases including asthma, food allergy and allergic rhinitis. AE treatment is a significant cost burden for... Read More about Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of daily all over body application of emollient during the first year of life for preventing atopic eczema in high risk children (The BEEP trial): protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Ciclosporin compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with pyoderma gangrenosum: cost-effectiveness analysis of the STOP GAP trial (2017)
Journal Article
Mason, J., Thomas, K., Ormerod, A., Craig, F., Mitchell, E., Norrie, J., & Williams, H. (2017). Ciclosporin compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with pyoderma gangrenosum: cost-effectiveness analysis of the STOP GAP trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 177(6), 1527-1536. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.15561

Background Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a painful, ulcerating skin disease with poor evidence for management. Prednisolone and ciclosporin are the most commonly used treatments, although not previously compared within a randomised controlled trial... Read More about Ciclosporin compared to prednisolone therapy for patients with pyoderma gangrenosum: cost-effectiveness analysis of the STOP GAP trial.

Measuring long-term disease control in patients with atopic dermatitis: A validation study of well-controlled weeks (2017)
Journal Article
Langan, S. M., Stuart, B., Bradshaw, L., Schmitt, J., Williams, H. C., & Thomas, K. S. (2017). Measuring long-term disease control in patients with atopic dermatitis: A validation study of well-controlled weeks. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140(6), 1580-1586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2017.02.043

Background:Because atopic dermatitis (AD) is a relapsing, remitting disease, assessing long?term control is important. Well controlled weeks (WCWs) have been used to assess asthma long?term control, but never validated for AD. Objectives: To assess... Read More about Measuring long-term disease control in patients with atopic dermatitis: A validation study of well-controlled weeks.

Development and validation of an algorithm to accurately identify atopic eczema patients in primary care electronic health records from the UK (2017)
Journal Article
Abuabara, K., Magyari, A., Hoffstad, O., Jabbar-Lopez, Z., Smeeth, L., Williams, H., …Langan, S. (2017). Development and validation of an algorithm to accurately identify atopic eczema patients in primary care electronic health records from the UK. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(8), 1655-1662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2017.03.029

Electronic health records hold great promise for clinical and epidemiologic research. Undertaking atopic eczema (AE) research using such data is challenging due to its episodic and heterogeneous nature. We sought to develop and validate a diagnostic... Read More about Development and validation of an algorithm to accurately identify atopic eczema patients in primary care electronic health records from the UK.

Silk garments plus standard care compared with standard care for treating eczema in children: A randomised, controlled, observer-blind, pragmatic trial (CLOTHES Trial) (2017)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Bradshaw, L. E., Sach, T. H., Batchelor, J. M., Lawton, S., Harrison, E. F., …MacCallum, S. (2017). Silk garments plus standard care compared with standard care for treating eczema in children: A randomised, controlled, observer-blind, pragmatic trial (CLOTHES Trial). PLoS Medicine, 14(4), Article e1002280. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002280

© 2017 Thomas et al. Background: The role of clothing in the management of eczema (also called atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema) is poorly understood. This trial evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of silk garments (in addition to st... Read More about Silk garments plus standard care compared with standard care for treating eczema in children: A randomised, controlled, observer-blind, pragmatic trial (CLOTHES Trial).

Randomised controlled trial of silk therapeutic garments for the management of atopic eczema in children: the CLOTHES trial (2017)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Bradshaw, L., Sach, T. H., Cowdell, F., Batchelor, J. M., Lawton, S., …Montgomery, A. A. (2017). Randomised controlled trial of silk therapeutic garments for the management of atopic eczema in children: the CLOTHES trial. Health Technology Assessment, 21(16), https://doi.org/10.3310/hta21160

Background: Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic, itchy, inflammatory skin condition that affects the quality of life of children and their families. The role of specialist clothing in the management of AE is poorly understood. Objectives: To assess the... Read More about Randomised controlled trial of silk therapeutic garments for the management of atopic eczema in children: the CLOTHES trial.

Doxycycline versus prednisolone as an initial treatment strategy for bullous pemphigoid: a pragmatic non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (2017)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., Wojnarowska, F., Kirtschig, G., Mason, J., Godec, T. R., Schmidt, E., …Nunn, A. J. (in press). Doxycycline versus prednisolone as an initial treatment strategy for bullous pemphigoid: a pragmatic non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 389(10079), https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2817%2930560-3

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a blistering skin disorder with increased mortality. We tested whether a strategy of starting treatment with doxycycline conveys acceptable short-term blister control whilst conferring long-term safety advantage... Read More about Doxycycline versus prednisolone as an initial treatment strategy for bullous pemphigoid: a pragmatic non-inferiority randomised controlled trial.

A programme of research to set priorities and reduce uncertainties for the prevention and treatment of skin disease (2016)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Batchelor, J. M., Bath-Hextall, F., Chalmers, J., Clarke, T., Crowe, S., …Williams, H. C. (2016). A programme of research to set priorities and reduce uncertainties for the prevention and treatment of skin disease. Programme Grants for Applied Research, 4(18), https://doi.org/10.3310/pgfar04180

Background Skin diseases are very common and can have a large impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers. This programme addressed four diseases: (1) eczema, (2) vitiligo, (3) squamous cell skin cancer (SCC) and (4) pyoderma gangreno... Read More about A programme of research to set priorities and reduce uncertainties for the prevention and treatment of skin disease.

Surgery Versus 5% Imiquimod for Nodularand Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma: 5-Year Results of the SINSRandomized Controlled Trial (2016)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., Bath-Hextall, F., Ozolins, M., Armstrong, S. J., Colver, G. B., Perkins, W., …Surgery versus Imiquimod forNodular and Superficial basal cell carcinoma (SINS) study group. (2017). Surgery Versus 5% Imiquimod for Nodularand Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma: 5-Year Results of the SINSRandomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(3), 614-619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2016.10.019

© 2016 The Authors We previously reported modest clinical 3-year benefit for topical imiquimod compared with surgery for superficial or nodular basal cell carcinoma at low-risk sites in our noninferiority randomized controlled SINS trial. Here we rep... Read More about Surgery Versus 5% Imiquimod for Nodularand Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma: 5-Year Results of the SINSRandomized Controlled Trial.

Research techniques made simple: workflow for searching databases to reduce evidence selection bias in systematic reviews (2016)
Journal Article
Le Cleach, L., Doney, E., Katz, K. A., Williams, H. C., & Trinquart, L. (2016). Research techniques made simple: workflow for searching databases to reduce evidence selection bias in systematic reviews. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 136(12), e125-e129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2016.09.019

Clinical trials and basic science studies without statistically significant results are less likely to be published than studies with statistically significant results. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that omit unpublished data are at high risk... Read More about Research techniques made simple: workflow for searching databases to reduce evidence selection bias in systematic reviews.

Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), a core instrument to measure symptoms in clinical trials: a Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement (2016)
Journal Article
Spuls, P., Gerbens, L., Simpson, E., Apfelbacher, C., Chalmers, J., Thomas, K., …Schmitt, J. (2017). Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), a core instrument to measure symptoms in clinical trials: a Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement. British Journal of Dermatology, 176(4), 979-984. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.15179

Background: The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has defined four core outcome domains for a core outcome set (COS) to be measured in all atopic eczema (AE) trials to ensure cross-trial comparison: clinical signs, symptoms, q... Read More about Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), a core instrument to measure symptoms in clinical trials: a Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement.

Shared decision-making and patient decision aids in dermatology (2016)
Journal Article
Tan, J., Linos, E., Sendelweck, M. A., van Zuuren, E. J., Ersser, S., Dellavalle, R. P., & Williams, H. C. (in press). Shared decision-making and patient decision aids in dermatology. British Journal of Dermatology, 175(5), https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14803

Shared decision making combines individual patient interests and values with clinical best evidence under the guiding principle of patient autonomy. Patient decision aids can support shared decision making and facilitate decisions that have multiple... Read More about Shared decision-making and patient decision aids in dermatology.

Is speed of healing a good predictor of eventual healing of pyoderma gangrenosum? (2016)
Journal Article
Wilkes, S. R., Williams, H. C., Ormerod, A. D., Craig, F. E., Greenlaw, N., Norrie, J., …Thomas, K. S. (2016). Is speed of healing a good predictor of eventual healing of pyoderma gangrenosum?. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 75(6), 1216-1220.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.07.049

Background: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare inflammatory skin condition. The STOPGAP studies compared treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum using a primary outcome of healing speed at 6 weeks. Objective: Using data from both studies we assessed the pre... Read More about Is speed of healing a good predictor of eventual healing of pyoderma gangrenosum?.

What is the evidence-base for atopic eczema treatments? A summary of published randomised controlled trials (2016)
Journal Article
Nankervis, H., Thomas, K., Delamere, F. M., Barbarot, S., Smith, S., Rogers, N. K., & Williams, H. C. (in press). What is the evidence-base for atopic eczema treatments? A summary of published randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Dermatology, 176(4), https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14999

Atopic eczema (AE) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition. Whilst many AE treatment options are available, the evidence to support their efficacy varies in depth and quality. In 2000, an NIHR HTA systematic review identified and evaluated ex... Read More about What is the evidence-base for atopic eczema treatments? A summary of published randomised controlled trials.

Clinical outcomes and response of patients applying topical therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum: A prospective cohort study (2016)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Ormerod, A. D., Craig, F. E., Greenlaw, N., Norrie, J., Mitchell, E., …Williams, H. C. (2016). Clinical outcomes and response of patients applying topical therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum: A prospective cohort study. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 75(5), 940-949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.06.016

Background: pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon dermatosis with a limited evidence base for treatment. Objective: to estimate the effectiveness of topical therapies in the treatment of PG. Methods: prospective cohort study of UK secondary... Read More about Clinical outcomes and response of patients applying topical therapy for pyoderma gangrenosum: A prospective cohort study.

How Clinically Relevant Are Treatment Comparisons of Topical Calcineurin Inhibitor Trials for Atopic Eczema? (2016)
Journal Article
Wilkes, S. R., Nankervis, H., Tavernier, E., Maruani, A., & Williams, H. C. (2016). How Clinically Relevant Are Treatment Comparisons of Topical Calcineurin Inhibitor Trials for Atopic Eczema?. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 136(10), 1944-1949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2016.05.104

We sought to explore the architecture of trials of calcineurin inhibitors for atopic eczema to document the extent to which comparisons with active treatments such as topical corticosteroids (TCS) might have been included or avoided. We identified al... Read More about How Clinically Relevant Are Treatment Comparisons of Topical Calcineurin Inhibitor Trials for Atopic Eczema?.

Tissue diagnosis using power-sharing multifocal Raman micro-spectroscopy and auto-fluorescence imaging (2016)
Journal Article
Sinjab, F., Kong, K., Gibson, G., Varma, S., Williams, H. C., Padgett, M., & Notingher, I. (2016). Tissue diagnosis using power-sharing multifocal Raman micro-spectroscopy and auto-fluorescence imaging. Biomedical Optics Express, 7(8), 2993–3006. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.7.002993

We describe a multifocal Raman micro-spectroscopy detection method based on a digital micromirror device, which allows for simultaneous “power-sharing” acquisition of Raman spectra from ad hoc sampling points. As the locations of the points can be ra... Read More about Tissue diagnosis using power-sharing multifocal Raman micro-spectroscopy and auto-fluorescence imaging.

Scoping systematic review of treatments for eczema (2016)
Journal Article
Nankervis, H., Thomas, K., Delamere, F. M., Barbarot, S., Rogers, N. K., & Williams, H. C. (2016). Scoping systematic review of treatments for eczema. Programme Grants for Applied Research, 4(7), https://doi.org/10.3310/pgfar04070

Background: Eczema is a very common chronic inflammatory skin condition. Objectives: To update the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) systematic review of treatments for atopic eczema, published in 2000,... Read More about Scoping systematic review of treatments for eczema.

A functional mechanistic study of the effect of emollients on the structure and function of the skin barrier (2016)
Journal Article
Danby, S., Chalmers, J., Brown, K., Williams, H., & Cork, M. (2016). A functional mechanistic study of the effect of emollients on the structure and function of the skin barrier. British Journal of Dermatology, 175(5), 1011-1019. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14684

Background: Preventing relapses of atopic dermatitis (AD) through the regular use of topical products to repair the skin barrier defect is an emerging concept. It is still unclear if some commonly used emollients exert a positive effect on the skin b... Read More about A functional mechanistic study of the effect of emollients on the structure and function of the skin barrier.

Specific allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic eczema (2016)
Journal Article
Tam, H., Calderon, M. A., Manikam, L., Nankervis, H., Núñez, I. G., Williams, H. C., & Boyle, R. (2016). Specific allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Article CD008774. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008774.pub2

BACKGROUND: Specific allergen immunotherapy (SIT) is a treatment that may improve disease severity in people with atopic eczema (AE) by inducing immune tolerance to the relevant allergen. A high quality systematic review has not previously assess... Read More about Specific allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic eczema.

A multi-centre, parallel group superiority trial of silk therapeutic clothing compared to standard care for the management of eczema in children (CLOTHES Trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (2015)
Journal Article
Harrison, E. F., Haines, R. H., Cowdell, F., Sach, T. H., Dean, T., Pollock, I., …Thomas, K. S. (2015). A multi-centre, parallel group superiority trial of silk therapeutic clothing compared to standard care for the management of eczema in children (CLOTHES Trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 16(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0921-9

Background Eczema is a chronic, itchy skin condition that can have a large impact on the quality of life of patients and their families. People with eczema are often keen to try out non-pharmacological therapies like silk therapeutic garments that... Read More about A multi-centre, parallel group superiority trial of silk therapeutic clothing compared to standard care for the management of eczema in children (CLOTHES Trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Comparison of the two most commonly used treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum: results of the STOP GAP randomised controlled trial (2015)
Journal Article
Ormerod, A. D., Thomas, K. S., Craig, F. E., Mitchell, E., Greenlaw, N., Norrie, J., …UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network’s STOP GAP team. (2015). Comparison of the two most commonly used treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum: results of the STOP GAP randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 350, Article h2958. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2958

Objective: To determine whether ciclosporin is superior to prednisolone for the treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum, a painful, ulcerating skin disease with a poor evidence base for management. Design: Multicentre, parallel group, observer blind, ran... Read More about Comparison of the two most commonly used treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum: results of the STOP GAP randomised controlled trial.

Validation of treatment escalation as a definition of atopic eczema flares (2015)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Stuart, B., O’Leary, C., Schmitt, J., Paul, C., Williams, H., & Langan, S. (2015). Validation of treatment escalation as a definition of atopic eczema flares. PLoS ONE, 10(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124770

Background Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic disease with flares and remissions. Long-term control of AE flares has been identified as a core outcome domain for AE trials. However, it is unclear how flares should be defined and measured. Objective... Read More about Validation of treatment escalation as a definition of atopic eczema flares.

The Harmonizing Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) roadmap: a methodological framework to develop core sets of outcome measurements in dermatology (2015)
Journal Article
Schmitt, J., Apfelbacher, C., Spuls, P. I., Thomas, K. S., Simpson, E. L., Furue, M., …Williams, H. C. (2015). The Harmonizing Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) roadmap: a methodological framework to develop core sets of outcome measurements in dermatology. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 135(1), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2014.320

Core outcome sets (COSs) are consensus-derived minimum sets of outcomes to be assessed in a specific situation. COSs are being increasingly developed to limit outcome-reporting bias, allow comparisons across trials, and strengthen clinical decision m... Read More about The Harmonizing Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) roadmap: a methodological framework to develop core sets of outcome measurements in dermatology.

What is a pragmatic clinical trial? (2015)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., BURDEN-TEH, E., & Nunn, A. J. (2015). What is a pragmatic clinical trial?. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 135(6), 1-3. doi:10.1038/jid.2015.134

Can a simple outpatient-based treatment be used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis in young children? A critically appraised topic (2014)
Journal Article
Burden-Teh, E., Wooton, C., & Williams, H. (2015). Can a simple outpatient-based treatment be used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis in young children? A critically appraised topic. British Journal of Dermatology, 172(4), 861-866. doi:10.1111/bjd.13496

A 5‐year‐old boy from rural Afghanistan presented with a 1‐year history of a skin lesion on his left knee, confirmed by polymerase chain reaction to be cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania tropica). Conventional treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in... Read More about Can a simple outpatient-based treatment be used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis in young children? A critically appraised topic.

Emollient enhancement of the skin barrier from birth offers effective atopic dermatitis prevention (2014)
Journal Article
Simpson, E. L., Chalmers, J. R., Hanifin, J. M., Thomas, K. S., Cork, M. J., Irwin McLean, W., …Williams, H. C. (2014). Emollient enhancement of the skin barrier from birth offers effective atopic dermatitis prevention. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 134(4), 818-823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.005

Atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that has reached epidemic proportions in children worldwide and is increasing in prevalence. Because of the significant socioeconomic effect of atopic dermatitis and its effect... Read More about Emollient enhancement of the skin barrier from birth offers effective atopic dermatitis prevention.

The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement to assess clinical signs of atopic eczema in trials (2014)
Journal Article
Schmitt, J., Spuls, P. I., Thomas, K. S., Simpson, E., Furue, M., Deckert, S., …Williams, H. C. (2014). The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement to assess clinical signs of atopic eczema in trials. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 134(4), 800-807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.07.043

The lack of core outcome sets for atopic eczema (AE) is a major obstacle for advancing evidence-based treatment. The global Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has already defined clinical signs, symptoms, quality of life, and l... Read More about The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement to assess clinical signs of atopic eczema in trials.

Global, regional, and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (2014)
Journal Article
Wang, H., Liddell, C. A., Coates, M. M., Mooney, M. D., Levitz, C. E., Schumacher, A. E., …Murray, C. J. L. (2014). Global, regional, and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet, 384(9947), 957-979. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736%2814%2960497-9

Background Remarkable financial and political efforts have been focused on the reduction of child mortality during the past few decades. Timely measurements of levels and trends in under-5 mortality are important to assess progress towards the Mi... Read More about Global, regional, and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.

Rehabilitation aimed at improving outdoor mobility for people after stroke: a multi-centre randomised controlled study (the Getting out of the House Study) (2014)
Journal Article
Logan, P. A., Armstrong, S., Avery, T., Barer, D., Barton, G., Darby, J., …Leighton, M. P. (2014). Rehabilitation aimed at improving outdoor mobility for people after stroke: a multi-centre randomised controlled study (the Getting out of the House Study). Health Technology Assessment, 18(29), 1-73. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta18290

Background: One-third of stroke patients are dependent on others to get outside their homes. This can cause people to become housebound, leading to increased immobility, poor health, isolation and misery. There is some evidence that outdoor mobility... Read More about Rehabilitation aimed at improving outdoor mobility for people after stroke: a multi-centre randomised controlled study (the Getting out of the House Study).

Key considerations for the experimental training and evaluation of cancer odour detection dogs: lessons learnt from a double-blind, controlled trial of prostate cancer detection (2014)
Journal Article
Elliker, K. R., Armstrong, S., Sommerville, B. A., Broom, D. M., Neal, D. E., & Williams, H. C. (2014). Key considerations for the experimental training and evaluation of cancer odour detection dogs: lessons learnt from a double-blind, controlled trial of prostate cancer detection. BMC Urology, 14(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2490-14-22

Background: Cancer detection using sniffer dogs is a potential technology for clinical use and research. Our study sought to determine whether dogs could be trained to discriminate the odour of urine from men with prostate cancer from controls, using... Read More about Key considerations for the experimental training and evaluation of cancer odour detection dogs: lessons learnt from a double-blind, controlled trial of prostate cancer detection.

Prophylactic antibiotics to prevent cellulitis of the leg: economic analysis of the PATCH I & II trials. (2014)
Journal Article
Mason, J. M., Thomas, K., Crook, A. M., Foster, K. A., Chalmers, J., Nunn, A. J., & Williams, H. C. (2014). Prophylactic antibiotics to prevent cellulitis of the leg: economic analysis of the PATCH I & II trials. PLoS ONE, 9(2), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082694

Background Cellulitis (erysipelas) is a recurring and debilitating bacterial infection of the skin and underlying tissue. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotic treatment to prevent the recurrence of cellulitis using low dose... Read More about Prophylactic antibiotics to prevent cellulitis of the leg: economic analysis of the PATCH I & II trials..

Surgical excision versus imiquimod 5% cream for nodular and superficial basal-cell carcinoma (SINS): a multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial (2013)
Journal Article
Bath-Hextall, F., Ozolins, M., Armstrong, S. J., Colver, G. B., Perkins, W., Miller, P. S., & Williams, H. C. (2014). Surgical excision versus imiquimod 5% cream for nodular and superficial basal-cell carcinoma (SINS): a multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncology, 15(1), 96-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045%2813%2970530-8

Background: Basal-cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and its incidence is increasing worldwide. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of imiquimod cream versus surgical excision in patients with low-risk basal-cell carcinoma. Method... Read More about Surgical excision versus imiquimod 5% cream for nodular and superficial basal-cell carcinoma (SINS): a multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

The Cochrane Skin Group: a vanguard for developing and promoting evidence-based dermatology (2013)
Journal Article
Reddi, A., Prescott, L., Doney, E., Delamere, F., Kollipara, R., Dellavalle, R. P., & Williams, H. C. (2013). The Cochrane Skin Group: a vanguard for developing and promoting evidence-based dermatology. Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 6(4), https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12068

Aim The Cochrane Skin Group (CSG) is part of the international Cochrane Collaboration (http://www.cochrane.org/). The CSG prepares, maintains and disseminates high quality evidence-based summaries on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin d... Read More about The Cochrane Skin Group: a vanguard for developing and promoting evidence-based dermatology.

What determines patient preferences for treating low risk basal cell carcinoma when comparing surgery vs imiquimod?: a discrete choice experiment survey from the SINS trial (2012)
Journal Article
Tinelli, M., Ozolins, M., Bath-Hextall, F., & Williams, H. C. (2012). What determines patient preferences for treating low risk basal cell carcinoma when comparing surgery vs imiquimod?: a discrete choice experiment survey from the SINS trial. BMC Dermatology, 12(Octobe), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-5945-12-19

Background: The SINS trial (Controlled Clinical Trials ISRCTN48755084; Eudract No. 2004-004506-24) is a randomised controlled trial evaluating long term success of excisional surgery vs. imiquimod 5% cream for low risk nodular and superficial basal... Read More about What determines patient preferences for treating low risk basal cell carcinoma when comparing surgery vs imiquimod?: a discrete choice experiment survey from the SINS trial.

UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network’s STOP GAP trial (a multicentre trial of prednisolone versus ciclosporin for pyoderma gangrenosum): protocol for a randomised controlled trial (2012)
Journal Article
Craig, F. F., Thomas, K. S., Mitchell, E. J., Williams, H. C., Norrie, J., Mason, J. M., & Ormerod, A. D. (2012). UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network’s STOP GAP trial (a multicentre trial of prednisolone versus ciclosporin for pyoderma gangrenosum): protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 13(1), Article 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-13-51

Established corticosteroid creams should be applied only once daily in patients with atopic eczema (2007)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2007). Established corticosteroid creams should be applied only once daily in patients with atopic eczema. British medical journal, 334,

Atopic eczema affects many adults and up to 20% of children,1 with health costs comparable to diabetes2 and asthma.3 One community survey of 1760 young children in the United Kingdom found that 84% had mild eczema, 14% moderate, and 2% severe eczema.... Read More about Established corticosteroid creams should be applied only once daily in patients with atopic eczema.

Feasibility study to inform the design of a UK multi-centre randomised controlled trial of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of recurrent cellulitis of the leg (2007)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. S., Cox, N. H., Savelyich, B. S., Shipley, D., Meredith, S., Nunn, A., …Reynolds, N. (2007). Feasibility study to inform the design of a UK multi-centre randomised controlled trial of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of recurrent cellulitis of the leg. Trials, 8(3),

Background: This paper describes the results of a feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Methods: Twenty-nine members of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UK DCTN) expressed an interest in recruiting for this study.... Read More about Feasibility study to inform the design of a UK multi-centre randomised controlled trial of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of recurrent cellulitis of the leg.

How epidemiology has challenged 3 prevailing concepts about atopic dermatitis (2006)
Journal Article
Williams, H., & Flohr, C. (2006). How epidemiology has challenged 3 prevailing concepts about atopic dermatitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 118,

We challenge 3 prevailing concepts in understanding atopic dermatitis using data from epidemiologic studies. First, we show that although atopy is associated with atopic dermatitis to some degree, its importance is not likely to be a simple causea... Read More about How epidemiology has challenged 3 prevailing concepts about atopic dermatitis.

Atopic Dermatitis (2005)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2005). Atopic Dermatitis

A 10-year-old girl with atopic dermatitis reports itching that has recently become relentless, resulting in sleep loss. Her mother has been reluctant to treat the girl with topical corticosteroids, because she was told that they damage the skin, bu... Read More about Atopic Dermatitis.

Introducing the National Library for Health Skin Conditions Specialist Library (2005)
Journal Article
Grindlay, D. J., Kamel Boulos, M. N., & Williams, H. C. (2005). Introducing the National Library for Health Skin Conditions Specialist Library. BMC Dermatology, 5(4),

Background: This paper introduces the new National Library for Health Skin Conditions Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/skin. Description: The aims, scope and audience of the new NLH Skin Conditions Specialist Library, and the compositi... Read More about Introducing the National Library for Health Skin Conditions Specialist Library.

How to reply to referees’ comments when submitting manuscripts for publication (2004)
Journal Article
Williams, H. C. (2004). How to reply to referees’ comments when submitting manuscripts for publication. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 51(1),

Background: The publication of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals is a fairly complex and stepwise process that involves responding to referees’ comments. Little guidance is available in the biomedical literature on how to deal with such c... Read More about How to reply to referees’ comments when submitting manuscripts for publication.

New treatments for atopic dermatitis (2002)
Journal Article
Williams, H. (2002). New treatments for atopic dermatitis. British medical journal, 324,

Atopic dermatitis now affects 15% to 20% of chil­dren in developed countries, and prevalence in cities in developing countries undergoingrapid demographic changes is quickly following suit. [1] Most cases of atopic dermatitis in a given communityare... Read More about New treatments for atopic dermatitis.

Conflicts of interest in dermatology
Journal Article
Williams, H. C., Naldi, L., Paul, C., Vahlquist, A., Schroter, S., & Jobling, R. Conflicts of interest in dermatology. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 86(6), https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-0191

Conflicts of interest exist in dermatology when professional judgement concerning a primary interest, such as research validity, may be influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial gain from a for-profit organization. Conflict of interest... Read More about Conflicts of interest in dermatology.