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Outputs (134)

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 can community pharmacists be supported to manage skin conditions? A multistage stakeholder research prioritisation exercise (2024)
Journal Article
Harvey, J., Shariff, Z., Anderson, C., Boyd, M. J., Ridd, M. J., Santer, M., …Leighton, P. (2024). How can community pharmacists be supported to manage skin conditions? A multistage stakeholder research prioritisation exercise. BMJ Open, 14(1), Article e071863. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071863

Objective: To establish research priorities which will support the development and delivery of community pharmacy initiatives for the management of skin conditions. Design: An iterative, multistage stakeholder consultation consisting of online survey... Read More about How can community pharmacists be supported to manage skin conditions? A multistage stakeholder research prioritisation exercise.

Atopic eczema in primary care: evidence update and implications for practice (2023)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Ridd, M. J., Harvey, J., Lax, S., Muller, I., Roberts, A., & Thomas, K. S. (2024). Atopic eczema in primary care: evidence update and implications for practice. British Journal of General Practice, 74(738), 40-42. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp24X736101

Most people with eczema have mild or moderate disease, and most are treated in primary care.1 This article aims to support health professionals in helping patients get control of eczema in time-limited consultations. Recent updated National Institute... Read More about Atopic eczema in primary care: evidence update and implications for practice.

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.

Cost-effectiveness of Spironolactone for Adult Female Acne (SAFA): economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial (2023)
Journal Article
Pyne, S., Sach, T. H., Lawrence, M., Renz, S., Eminton, Z., Stuart, B., …Santer, M. (2023). Cost-effectiveness of Spironolactone for Adult Female Acne (SAFA): economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 13(12), Article e073245. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073245

Objective This study aims to estimate the cost-effectiveness of oral spironolactone plus routine topical treatment compared with routine topical treatment alone for persistent acne in adult women from a British NHS perspective over 24 weeks. Design E... Read More about Cost-effectiveness of Spironolactone for Adult Female Acne (SAFA): economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial.

Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study: the THESEUS prospective cohort study (2023)
Journal Article
Ingram, J. R., Bates, J., Cannings-John, R., Collier, F., Gibbons, A., Harris, C., …Thomas-Jones, E. (2023). Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study: the THESEUS prospective cohort study. Health Technology Assessment, 27(30), https://doi.org/10.3310/HWNM2189

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterised by recurrent inflammatory lesions and skin tunnels in flexural sites such as the axilla. Deroofing of skin tunnels and laser treatment are standard hidradenit... Read More about Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study: the THESEUS prospective cohort study.

Eczema Bathing Study – how often should we bathe? (2023)
Dataset
Harrison, E., & Thomas, K. (2023). Eczema Bathing Study – how often should we bathe?. [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.1186/isrctn12016473

Background and study aims The Eczema Bathing Study is part of the Rapid Eczema Trials project. The researchers hope to answer many questions about how to manage eczema through this project. People with eczema are helping to prioritise, design and ru... Read More about Eczema Bathing Study – how often should we bathe?.

A core domain set for pyoderma gangrenosum trial outcomes - an international e-Delphi and consensus study from the UPGRADE initiative (2023)
Journal Article
Jacobson, M. E., Rick, J. W., Gerbens, L. A., Baghoomian, W., Gould, L. J., Marzano, A. V., …UPGRADE. (2024). A core domain set for pyoderma gangrenosum trial outcomes - an international e-Delphi and consensus study from the UPGRADE initiative. British Journal of Dermatology, 190(3), 392-401. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad420

Importance Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare ulcerative skin condition with no current standardized outcomes or outcome measures. With a rich investigational therapeutic pipeline, standardization of outcomes and improvement of data quality and i... Read More about A core domain set for pyoderma gangrenosum trial outcomes - an international e-Delphi and consensus study from the UPGRADE initiative.

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.

Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): a prospective cohort study (2023)
Journal Article
Ingram, J., Thomas, K., Cannings, R., Evans, J., Gibbons, A., Howes, R., …Leighton, P. (2024). Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Dermatology, 190(3), 382-391. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad388

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, painful disease affecting flexures and other skin regions, producing nodules, abscesses and skin tunnels. Laser treatment targeting hair follicles and deroofing of skin tunnels are standard HS... Read More about Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): a prospective cohort study.

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.

Reporting of Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) core outcome set instruments in randomized clinical trials for systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis (2023)
Journal Article
Lam, M., Spuls, P. I., Leshem, Y. A., Gerbens, L. A. A., Thomas, K. S., Arents, B., …Drucker, A. M. (2023). Reporting of Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) core outcome set instruments in randomized clinical trials for systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis. British Journal of Dermatology, 189(4), 494-496. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad237

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.

RF04 Oral spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial (2023)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Layton, A., Lau, E., Eminton, Z., Stuart, B., Sach, T., …Lawrence, M. (2023). RF04 Oral spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 188(Supplement_4), Article ljad113.013. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad113.013

Acne is common and results in significant burden and patients with acne frequently receive prolonged oral antibiotics leading to antimicrobial resistance. Oral spironolactone is prescribed for acne, although there is a paucity of evidence on its effe... Read More about RF04 Oral spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial.

Research priorities in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa (2023)
Journal Article
Leighton, P., Howells, L., Bates, J., Gibbons, A., Cannings-John, R., Collier, F., …Ingram, J. R. (2023). Research priorities in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa. British Journal of Dermatology, 189(3), 343–345. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad152

There is a need for high-quality research to support the management of hidradenitis suppurativa. This letter offers suggestions for priority research topics derived from a stakeholder consensus meeting. Investigation of laser hair removal treatment,... Read More about Research priorities in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa.

Evaluating the effect of weekly patient-reported symptom monitoring on trial outcomes: results of the Eczema Monitoring Online randomised controlled trial (2023)
Journal Article
Baker, A., Mitchell, E. J., Partlett, C., & Thomas, K. S. (2023). Evaluating the effect of weekly patient-reported symptom monitoring on trial outcomes: results of the Eczema Monitoring Online randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 189(2), 180–187. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad163

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are commonly used in eczema clinical trials. Several trials have used PROMs weekly for symptom monitoring. However, the increased frequency of patient-reported symptom monitoring may prompt partic... Read More about Evaluating the effect of weekly patient-reported symptom monitoring on trial outcomes: results of the Eczema Monitoring Online randomised controlled trial.

Effectiveness of spironolactone for women with acne vulgaris (SAFA) in England and Wales: pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3, double blind, randomised controlled trial (2023)
Journal Article
Santer, M., Lawrence, M., Renz, S., Eminton, Z., Stuart, B., Sach, T. H., …Layton, A. M. (2023). Effectiveness of spironolactone for women with acne vulgaris (SAFA) in England and Wales: pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3, double blind, randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 381, Article e074349. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-074349

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of oral spironolactone for acne vulgaris in adult women. Design: Pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3, double blind, randomised controlled trial. Setting: Primary and secondary healthcare, and advertising in th... Read More about Effectiveness of spironolactone for women with acne vulgaris (SAFA) in England and Wales: pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3, double blind, randomised controlled trial.

‘It’s just a finger isn’t it…’: patients’ perspectives of recovery following finger fractures and participation in surgical trials – a qualitative interview study (2023)
Journal Article
Mousoulis, C., Karantana, A., Trickett, R. W., Thomas, K. S., & Leighton, P. (2023). ‘It’s just a finger isn’t it…’: patients’ perspectives of recovery following finger fractures and participation in surgical trials – a qualitative interview study. BMJ Open, 13(5), Article e065185. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065185

Objectives: To (1) generate detailed, person-centred data about the experience of finger injury and treatment and (2) understand the patients’ perspectives of research involvement with a view to informing better designed future studies in hand injury... Read More about ‘It’s just a finger isn’t it…’: patients’ perspectives of recovery following finger fractures and participation in surgical trials – a qualitative interview 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.

The “Understanding Pyoderma Gangrenosum, Review and Assessment of Disease Effects (UPGRADE)” Project: a protocol for the development of the core outcome domain set for trials in pyoderma gangrenosum (2022)
Journal Article
Rick, J., Gould, L. J., Marzano, A. V., Garg, A., Chen, D., Oakes, D. L., …Ortega-Loayza, A. G. (2023). The “Understanding Pyoderma Gangrenosum, Review and Assessment of Disease Effects (UPGRADE)” Project: a protocol for the development of the core outcome domain set for trials in pyoderma gangrenosum. Archives of Dermatological Research, 315(4), 983-988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-022-02424-1

Introduction: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis that affects approximately 0.3–6 out of every 100,000 people worldwide. Clinical trials are scarce but there is growing interest in using newer and more targeted therapeutics t... Read More about The “Understanding Pyoderma Gangrenosum, Review and Assessment of Disease Effects (UPGRADE)” Project: a protocol for the development of the core outcome domain set for trials in pyoderma gangrenosum.

A practical guide to implementing a successful social media recruitment strategy: lessons from the Eczema Monitoring Online trial (2022)
Journal Article
Baker, A., Mitchell, E. J., & Thomas, K. S. (2022). A practical guide to implementing a successful social media recruitment strategy: lessons from the Eczema Monitoring Online trial. Trials, 23, Article 905. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06839-z

Background: Participant recruitment into clinical trials remains challenging. The global increase in the number of social media users has accelerated the use of social media as a modality of recruitment, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when... Read More about A practical guide to implementing a successful social media recruitment strategy: lessons from the Eczema Monitoring Online trial.

How is oral isotretinoin prescribed for the treatment of acne vulgaris? Results from a UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UKDCTN) and British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) survey of health professionals (2022)
Journal Article
Moledina, Z., McPhee, M., Ravenscroft, J. C., Healy, E., Radley, K., Thomas, K. S., …Acne -ID Trial Development Team. (2023). How is oral isotretinoin prescribed for the treatment of acne vulgaris? Results from a UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UKDCTN) and British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) survey of health professionals. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 48(1), 20-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llac015

We undertook a survey of UK healthcare professionals through the UKDCTN and BDNG to understand clinicians’ routine practice prescribing oral isotretinoin for treatment of acne vulgaris (acne). We also wanted to understand clinicians’ experiences and... Read More about How is oral isotretinoin prescribed for the treatment of acne vulgaris? Results from a UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UKDCTN) and British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG) survey of health professionals.

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.

Content validity of the Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP) instrument in Dutch, English and German to measure eczema control in young people with atopic eczema: a cognitive interview study (2022)
Journal Article
Gabes, M., Ragamin, A., Baker, A., Kann, G., Donhauser, T., Gabes, D., …Apfelbacher, C. (2022). Content validity of the Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP) instrument in Dutch, English and German to measure eczema control in young people with atopic eczema: a cognitive interview study. British Journal of Dermatology, 187(6), 919-926. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21767

Background: Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP) is a patient-reported outcome measure assessing eczema control. This instrument has been developed and validated in the UK. There are self-reported and proxy-reported versions in English, Dutch and German. H... Read More about Content validity of the Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP) instrument in Dutch, English and German to measure eczema control in young people with atopic eczema: a cognitive interview study.

Prescribing and using vitiligo treatments: lessons from a nested process evaluation within the HI-Light vitiligo randomized controlled trial (2022)
Journal Article
Leighton, P., Chalmers, J. R., Batchelor, J., Rogers, A., Akram, P., Haines, R. H., …Thomas, K. S. (2022). Prescribing and using vitiligo treatments: lessons from a nested process evaluation within the HI-Light vitiligo randomized controlled trial. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 47(8), 1480-1489. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15193

Background: The HI-Light Trial demonstrated that for active, limited vitiligo, combination treatment with potent topical corticosteroid (TCS) and handheld narrowband ultraviolet B offers a better treatment response than potent TCS alone. However, it... Read More about Prescribing and using vitiligo treatments: lessons from a nested process evaluation within the HI-Light vitiligo randomized controlled trial.

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.

Using the Vitiligo Noticeability Scale in clinical trials: construct validity, interpretability, reliability and acceptability (2022)
Journal Article
Batchelor, J. M., Gran, S., Leighton, P., Howells, L., Montgomery, A. A., Tan, W., …Thomas, K. S. (2022). Using the Vitiligo Noticeability Scale in clinical trials: construct validity, interpretability, reliability and acceptability. British Journal of Dermatology, 187(4), 548-556. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21671

Background: Validated outcome measures are needed for vitiligo trials. Objectives: To assess construct validity, interpretability, reliability and acceptability of the Vitiligo Noticeability Scale (VNS). Methods: We used images of vitiligo before and... Read More about Using the Vitiligo Noticeability Scale in clinical trials: construct validity, interpretability, reliability and acceptability.

Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): protocol for a prospective cohort study (2022)
Journal Article
Bates, J., Stanton, H., Cannings-John, R., Thomas, K. S., Leighton, P., Howells, L. M., …Ingram, J. R. (2022). Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): protocol for a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open, 12(4), Article e060815. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060815

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, painful, inflammatory skin disease with estimates of prevalence in the European population of 1%–2%. Despite being a relatively common condition, the evidence base for management of HS is limited... Read More about Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS): protocol for a prospective cohort 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.

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.

Strategies for using topical corticosteroids in children and adults with eczema (2022)
Journal Article
Lax, S., Harvey, J., Axon, E., Howells, L., Santer, M., Ridd, M., …Chalmers, J. (2022). Strategies for using topical corticosteroids in children and adults with eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3(3), Article CD013356

Background Eczema is a common skin condition. Although topical corticosteroids (TCS) have been a first-line treatment for eczema for decades, there are uncertainties over their optimal use. Objectives To establish the effectiveness and safety of diff... Read More about Strategies for using topical corticosteroids in children and adults with eczema.

Identifying the best predictive diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (< 18 years): a UK multicentre case–control diagnostic accuracy study (DIPSOC study) (2021)
Journal Article
Burden-Teh, E., Murphy, R., Gran, S., Nijsten, T., Hughes, C., Abdul-Wahab, A., …Thomas, K. S. (2022). Identifying the best predictive diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (< 18 years): a UK multicentre case–control diagnostic accuracy study (DIPSOC study). British Journal of Dermatology, 186(2), 341-351. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20689

Background In children, psoriasis can be challenging to diagnose. Difficulties arise from differences in the clinical presentation compared to adults. Objectives To test the diagnostic accuracy of previously agreed consensus criteria and develop... Read More about Identifying the best predictive diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (< 18 years): a UK multicentre case–control diagnostic accuracy study (DIPSOC study).

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.

Long-term oral prednisolone exposure in primary care for bullous pemphigoid: population-based study (2021)
Journal Article
Persson, M. S., Harman, K. E., Thomas, K. S., Chalmers, J. R., Vinogradova, Y., Langan, S. M., …Gran, S. (2021). Long-term oral prednisolone exposure in primary care for bullous pemphigoid: population-based study. British Journal of General Practice, 71(713), e904-e911. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2020.0870

Background: Oral prednisolone is the mainstay treatment for bullous pemphigoid, an autoimmune blistering skin disorder affecting older people. Treatment with moderate-to-high doses is often initiated in secondary care, but then continued in primary c... Read More about Long-term oral prednisolone exposure in primary care for bullous pemphigoid: population-based study.

Primary care management of hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional survey of UK GPs (2021)
Journal Article
Collier, F., Howes, R., Rodrigues, J., Thomas, K. S., Leighton, P., & Ingram, J. R. (2021). Primary care management of hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional survey of UK GPs. BJGP Open, 5(5), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0051

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes painful discharging nodules and skin tunnels. HS has associations with several systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), anxiety, and depress... Read More about Primary care management of hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional survey of UK GPs.

Spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): protocol for a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III randomised study of spironolactone as systemic therapy for acne in adult women (2021)
Journal Article
Renz, S., Chinnery, F., Stuart, B., Day, L., Muller, I., Soulsby, I., …Santer, M. (2021). Spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): protocol for a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III randomised study of spironolactone as systemic therapy for acne in adult women. BMJ Open, 11(8), Article e053876. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053876

Introduction Acne is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide and can have significant psychosocial impact and cause permanent scarring. Spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic, has antiandrogenic properties, potentially reduc... Read More about Spironolactone for adult female acne (SAFA): protocol for a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III randomised study of spironolactone as systemic therapy for acne in adult women.

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.

Thematic synthesis of the experiences of people with hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review* (2021)
Journal Article
Howells, L., Lancasterm, N., McPheem, M., Bundy, C., Ingram, J. R., Leighton, P., …Thomas, K. S. (2021). Thematic synthesis of the experiences of people with hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review*. British Journal of Dermatology, 185(5), 921-934. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20523

Background: Although hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is known to affect quality of life, little summative knowledge exists on how HS impacts people living with the condition. Objectives: To synthesize experiences of people with HS within published qual... Read More about Thematic synthesis of the experiences of people with hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review*.

Do patient characteristics matter when calculating sample size for eczema clinical trials? (2021)
Journal Article
Howells, L., Gran, S., Chalmers, J. R., Stuart, B., Santer, M., Bradshaw, L., …Thomas, K. S. (2021). Do patient characteristics matter when calculating sample size for eczema clinical trials?. Skin Health and Disease, 1(3), Article e42. https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.42

Background: The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) is the core outcome instrument recommended for measuring patient-reported atopic eczema symptoms in clinical trials. To ensure that the statistical significance of clinical trial results is meani... Read More about Do patient characteristics matter when calculating sample size for eczema clinical trials?.

Measurement properties of patient?reported outcome measures for eczema control: a systematic review (2021)
Journal Article
Stuart, B., Howells, L., Pattinson, R., Chalmers, J., Grindlay, D., Rogers, N., …Thomas, K. (2021). Measurement properties of patient‐reported outcome measures for eczema control: a systematic review. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 35(10), 1987-1993. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17335

Atopic eczema (herein referred to as ‘eczema’) is a skin disease characterized by remitting and relapsing symptoms. The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative was developed to establish a core outcome set (COS) for eczema to be mea... Read More about Measurement properties of patient?reported outcome measures for eczema control: a systematic review.

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.

Using electronic health records to inform trial feasibility in a rare autoimmune blistering skin disease in England (2021)
Journal Article
Persson, M., Harman, K., Thomas, K., Chalmers, J., Vinogradova, Y., Langan, S., …Gran, S. (2021). Using electronic health records to inform trial feasibility in a rare autoimmune blistering skin disease in England. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21(1), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-021-01212-1

Background Trials of novel agents are required to improve the care of patients with rare diseases, but trial feasibility may be uncertain due to concerns over insufficient patient numbers. We aimed to determine the size of the pool of potential part... Read More about Using electronic health records to inform trial feasibility in a rare autoimmune blistering skin disease in England.

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.

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)*.

An interview study of the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals (2020)
Journal Article
Patel, M., Ing Lee, S., Levell, N. J., Smart, P., Kai, J., Thomas, K. S., & Leighton, P. (2020). An interview study of the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals. BMJ Open, 10(10), Article e034692. https://doi.org/10.1136/+bmjopen-2019-034692

Objectives: To explore healthcare professionals (HCPs) experiences and challenges in diagnosing suspected lower limb cellulitis. Setting: UK nationwide. Participants: 20 qualified HCPs, who had a minimum of 2 years clinical experience as an HCP... Read More about An interview study of the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals.

An interview study to determine the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals in the UK (2020)
Journal Article
Patel, M., Lee, S., Levell, N., Smart, P., Kai, J., Thomas, K., & Leighton, P. (2020). An interview study to determine the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals in the UK. BMJ Open, 10, Article e034692. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034692

Objectives: To explore health care professionals (HCPs) experiences and challenges in diagnosing suspected lower limb cellulitis. Setting: UK nationwide. Participants: 20 qualified HCPs, who had a minimum of two years clinical experience as a... Read More about An interview study to determine the experiences of cellulitis diagnosis amongst health care professionals in the UK.

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.

Validation study of bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris recording in routinely collected electronic primary healthcare records in England (2020)
Journal Article
Persson, M. S., Harman, K. E., Vinogradova, Y., Langan, S. M., Hippisley-Cox, J., Thomas, K. S., & Gran, S. (2020). Validation study of bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris recording in routinely collected electronic primary healthcare records in England. BMJ Open, 10(7), e035934. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035934

Objectives: The validity of bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris recording in routinely collected healthcare data in the UK is unknown. We assessed the positive predictive value (PPV) for bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris primary care Re... Read More about Validation study of bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris recording in routinely collected electronic primary healthcare records in England.

Views and experiences of managing eczema: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies (2020)
Journal Article
Teasdale, E., Muller, I., Sivyer, K., Ghio, D., Greenwell, K., Wilczynska, S., …Santer, M. (2021). Views and experiences of managing eczema: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. British Journal of Dermatology, 184(4), 627-637. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19299

Background The number of qualitative studies on eczema has increased rapidly in recent years. Systematically reviewing these can provide greater understandings of people’s perceptions of eczema and eczema treatments. Objectives We sought to... Read More about Views and experiences of managing eczema: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

Incidence, prevalence and mortality of bullous pemphigoid in England 1998–2017: a population-based cohort study* (2020)
Journal Article
Persson, M. S., Harman, K. E., Vinogradova, Y., Langan, S. M., Thomas, K. S., Hippisley-Cox, J., & Gran, S. (2021). Incidence, prevalence and mortality of bullous pemphigoid in England 1998–2017: a population-based cohort study*. British Journal of Dermatology, 184(1), 68-77. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19022

Background: A rising incidence and high mortality were found for bullous pemphigoid (BP) over a decade ago in the UK. Updated estimates of its epidemiology are required to understand the healthcare needs of an ageing population. Objectives: To determ... Read More about Incidence, prevalence and mortality of bullous pemphigoid in England 1998–2017: a population-based cohort study*.

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.

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.

Confidence of recurrent cellulitis self-diagnosis among people with lymphoedema: a qualitative interview study (2019)
Journal Article
Patel, M., Lee, S. I., Levell, N. J., Smart, P., Kai, J., Thomas, K. S., & Leighton, P. (2020). Confidence of recurrent cellulitis self-diagnosis among people with lymphoedema: a qualitative interview study. British Journal of General Practice, 70(691), e130-e137. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X707909

© British Journal of General Practice 2020. BACKGROUND: Cellulitis can sometimes be challenging for healthcare professionals to diagnose, with no validated diagnostic criteria available. Supporting healthcare professionals to make a more accurate dia... Read More about Confidence of recurrent cellulitis self-diagnosis among people with lymphoedema: a qualitative interview study.

Development and initial testing of a new instrument to measure the experience of eczema control in adults and children: Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP) (2019)
Journal Article
Howells, L. M., Chalmers, J. R., Gran, S., Ahmed, A., Apfelbacher, C., Burton, T., …Thomas, K. S. (2020). Development and initial testing of a new instrument to measure the experience of eczema control in adults and children: Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP). British Journal of Dermatology, 183(3), 524-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.18780

Background: Eczema control has been identified as an important outcome by key stakeholders in eczema research (including patients, carers, healthcare professionals and researchers) but no validated instruments for the domain have been identified. Obj... Read More about Development and initial testing of a new instrument to measure the experience of eczema control in adults and children: Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP).

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.

Protocol for a case-control diagnostic accuracy study to develop diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (DIPSOC study): a multicentre study recruiting in UK paediatric dermatology clinics (2019)
Journal Article
Burden-Teh, E., Murphy, R., Gran, S., Nijsten, T., Hughes, C., & Thomas, K. S. (2019). Protocol for a case-control diagnostic accuracy study to develop diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (DIPSOC study): a multicentre study recruiting in UK paediatric dermatology clinics. BMJ Open, 9(8), e028689. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028689

Introduction Diagnosing psoriasis in children can be challenging. Early and accurate diagnosis is important to ensure patients receive psoriasis specific treatment and monitoring. It is recognised that the physical, psychological, quality of life, fi... Read More about Protocol for a case-control diagnostic accuracy study to develop diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (DIPSOC study): a multicentre study recruiting in UK paediatric dermatology clinics.

Protocol for an outcome assessor-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial of an ion-exchange water softener for the prevention of atopic eczema in neonates, with an embedded mechanistic study: The SOFtened waTER for eczema prevention trial (SOFTER) (2019)
Journal Article
Jabbar-Lopez, Z., Gurung, N., Greenblatt, D., Briley, A., Chalmers, J., Thomas, K., …Flohr, C. (2019). Protocol for an outcome assessor-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial of an ion-exchange water softener for the prevention of atopic eczema in neonates, with an embedded mechanistic study: The SOFtened waTER for eczema prevention trial (SOFTER). BMJ Open, 9(8), Article e027168. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027168

© 2019 Author(s). Introduction Atopic eczema affects 20% of UK children, and environmental factors are important in its aetiology. Several observational studies suggest an increased risk of atopic eczema in children living in hard water areas. The So... Read More about Protocol for an outcome assessor-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial of an ion-exchange water softener for the prevention of atopic eczema in neonates, with an embedded mechanistic study: The SOFtened waTER for eczema prevention trial (SOFTER).

Treatment interventions for hand fractures and joint injuries: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials (2019)
Journal Article
Mousoulis, C., Thomas, K., Leighton, P., Deshmukh, S., Grindlay, D., & Karantana, A. (2020). Treatment interventions for hand fractures and joint injuries: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), 45(2), 111-118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1753193419865897

The aim of this study was to identify and assess all existing randomized studies on treatment interventions for hand fractures and joint injuries, to inform practice and plan future research. PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase were searche... Read More about Treatment interventions for hand fractures and joint injuries: a scoping review of randomized controlled trials.

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.

Development of clinical diagnostic criteria for plaque psoriasis in children: an eDelphi consensus study with the International Psoriasis Council (2019)
Journal Article
Burden?Teh, E., Thomas, K. S., Gran, S., & Murphy, R. (2019). Development of clinical diagnostic criteria for plaque psoriasis in children: an eDelphi consensus study with the International Psoriasis Council. British Journal of Dermatology, 181(4), 856-857. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17994

Psoriasis in children can be a challenging diagnosis: the clinical presentation is often more subtle, may occur in covered sites and can be an unexpected diagnosis as psoriasis if often thought to occur at older ages. Poor recognition and delayed dia... Read More about Development of clinical diagnostic criteria for plaque psoriasis in children: an eDelphi consensus study with the International Psoriasis Council.

Uncertainty about cellulitis and unmet patient information needs: a mixed methods study in primary and secondary care (2019)
Journal Article
Teasdale, E., Lalonde, A., Muller, I., Chalmers, J., Smart, P., Hooper, J., …Santer, M. (2019). Uncertainty about cellulitis and unmet patient information needs: a mixed methods study in primary and secondary care. British Journal of General Practice, 69(681), e279-e286. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X701873

Background: Cellulitis is a painful infection of the skin and underlying tissues, commonly affecting the lower leg: approximately a third of people experience recurrence. Patients’ ability to recover from cellulitis or prevent recurrence is likely to... Read More about Uncertainty about cellulitis and unmet patient information needs: a mixed methods study in primary and secondary care.

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.

A systematic review showing the lack of diagnostic criteria and tools developed for lower limb cellulitis (2019)
Journal Article
Patel, M., Lee, S. I., Akyea, R. K., Grindlay, D., Francis, N., Levell, N. J., …Thomas, K. (2019). A systematic review showing the lack of diagnostic criteria and tools developed for lower limb cellulitis. British Journal of Dermatology, 181(6), 1156-1165. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17857

Background: Cellulitis can be a difficult diagnosis to make. 31% of patients admitted from the emergency department with suspected lower limb cellulitis are misdiagnoses, with incorrect treatment potentially resulting in avoidable hospital admission... Read More about A systematic review showing the lack of diagnostic criteria and tools developed for lower limb cellulitis.

Defining and measuring " eczema control " : an international qualitative study to explore the views of those living with and treating atopic eczema (2019)
Journal Article
Howells, L., Thomas, K. S., Sears, A. V., Nasr, I., Wollenberg, A., Schuttelaar, M. L., …Chalmers, J. R. (2019). Defining and measuring " eczema control " : an international qualitative study to explore the views of those living with and treating atopic eczema. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 33(6), 1124-1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.15475

Background: Atopic eczema (also known as eczema) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that often afflicts patients’ health and wellbeing. The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative recommends that “long-term control of eczema”... Read More about Defining and measuring " eczema control " : an international qualitative study to explore the views of those living with and treating atopic eczema.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 2: Epidemiology, aetiology and risk factors (2019)
Journal Article
Lloyd-Lavery, A., Solman, L., Grindlay, D. J. C., Rogers, N. K., Thomas, K. S., & Harman, K. E. (2019). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 2: Epidemiology, aetiology and risk factors. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 44(4), 370-375. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.13853

© 2019 British Association of Dermatologists This review forms part of a series of annual updates that summarize the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE), providing a succinct guide for clinicians and patients. It presents the key findings from 14 sy... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 2: Epidemiology, aetiology and risk factors.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 1: treatment and prevention (2019)
Journal Article
Solman, L., Lloyd-Lavery, A., Grindlay, D. J. C., Rogers, N. K., Thomas, K. S., & Harman, K. E. (2019). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 1: treatment and prevention. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 44(4), 363-369. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.13885

© 2019 British Association of Dermatologists This review is part of a series of annual updates summarizing the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE). It provides a summary of key findings from 28 systematic reviews that were published or indexed durin... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 1: treatment and prevention.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 3: nomenclature and outcome assessment (2019)
Journal Article
Lloyd-Lavery, A., Solman, L., Grindlay, D. J. C., Rogers, N. K., Thomas, K. S., & Harman, K. E. (2019). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 3: nomenclature and outcome assessment. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 44(4), 376-380. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.13886

© 2019 British Association of Dermatologists This review forms part of a series of annual updates that summarize the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE). It presents the key findings from 11 systematic reviews published in 2016 that focus on AE outc... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2016. Part 3: nomenclature and outcome assessment.

Patients’ understanding of cellulitis and views about how best to prevent recurrent episodes: mixed-methods study in primary and secondary care (2018)
Journal Article
Teasdale, E. J., Lalonde, A., Muller, I., Chalmers, J., Smart, P., Hooper, J., …Santer, M. (2019). Patients’ understanding of cellulitis and views about how best to prevent recurrent episodes: mixed-methods study in primary and secondary care. British Journal of Dermatology, 180(4), 810-820. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17445

Background: Cellulitis is a common painful infection of the skin and underlying tissues that recurs in approximately one-third of cases. The only proven strategy to reduce the risk of recurrence is long-term, low-dose antibiotics. Given current conce... Read More about Patients’ understanding of cellulitis and views about how best to prevent recurrent episodes: mixed-methods study in primary and secondary care.

The red leg dilemma: a scoping review of the challenges of diagnosing lower limb cellulitis (2018)
Journal Article
Patel, M., Kai, J., Lee, S., & Thomas, K. (2019). The red leg dilemma: a scoping review of the challenges of diagnosing lower limb cellulitis. British Journal of Dermatology, 180(5), 993-1000. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.17415

Background: Suspected lower limb cellulitis presentations are commonly misdiagnoses, resulting in avoidable antibiotic prescribing or hospital admissions. Understanding the challenges posed in diagnosing cellulitis may help enhance future care. Ob... Read More about The red leg dilemma: a scoping review of the challenges of diagnosing lower limb cellulitis.

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).

Development of a standardised set of metrics for monitoring site performance in multicentre randomised trials: a Delphi study (2018)
Journal Article
Whitham, D., Turzanski, J., Bradshaw, L., Clarke, M., Culliford, L., Duley, L., …Wood, J. (2018). Development of a standardised set of metrics for monitoring site performance in multicentre randomised trials: a Delphi study. Trials, 19, Article 557. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2940-9

Background Site performance is key to the success of large multicentre randomised trials. A standardised set of clear and accessible summaries of site performance could facilitate the timely identification and resolution of potential problems, minim... Read More about Development of a standardised set of metrics for monitoring site performance in multicentre randomised trials: a Delphi study.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 2: prevention and treatment (2018)
Journal Article
Lloyd-Lavery, A., Rogers, N. K., Davies, E., Grindlay, D. J. C., & Thomas, K. S. (2018). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 2: prevention and treatment. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 43(6), 653-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.13554

This review forms part of a series of annual updates that summarize the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE), providing a succinct guide for clinicians and patients. It provides a summary of key findings from 26 systematic reviews that were published... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 2: prevention and treatment.

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.

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.

How should minimally important change (MIC) scores for the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) be interpreted?: a validation using varied methods (2018)
Journal Article
Howells, L., Ratib, S., Chalmers, J., Bradshaw, L., & Thomas, K. (2018). How should minimally important change (MIC) scores for the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) be interpreted?: a validation using varied methods. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(5), https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16367

Background The Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), scored 0-28, is the core outcome instrument recommended for measuring patient-reported atopic eczema symptoms in clinical trials. To date, two published studies have broadly concurred that the... Read More about How should minimally important change (MIC) scores for the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) be interpreted?: a validation using varied methods.

Views and experiences of seeking information and help for vitiligo: a qualitative study of written accounts (2018)
Journal Article
Teasdale, E., Muller, I., Abdullah Sani, A., Thomas, K. S., Stuart, B., & Santer, M. (2018). Views and experiences of seeking information and help for vitiligo: a qualitative study of written accounts. BMJ Open, 8(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018652

Objectives: Vitiligo is a relatively common autoimmune condition causing loss of skin pigment. Around 1 in 100 people in the UK develop vitiligo. It can have a significant impact on quality of life for many of those affected. How people access inform... Read More about Views and experiences of seeking information and help for vitiligo: a qualitative study of written accounts.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 1: epidemiology and methodology (2018)
Journal Article
Davies, E., Rogers, N. K., Lloyd-Lavery, A., Grindlay, D. J. C., & Thomas, K. S. (2018). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 1: epidemiology and methodology. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 43(4), 375-379. doi:10.1111/ced.13377

This review forms part of a series of annual updates that summarize the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE), providing a succinct guide for clinicians and patients. It provides a summary of key findings from 15 systematic reviews that were published... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 1: epidemiology and methodology.

Which outcomes are reported in cellulitis trials?: results of a review of outcomes included in cellulitis trials and a patient priority setting survey (2017)
Journal Article
Smith, E., Patel, M., & Thomas, K. (2018). Which outcomes are reported in cellulitis trials?: results of a review of outcomes included in cellulitis trials and a patient priority setting survey. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(5), 1028-1034. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16235

Background There is an emerging need to develop consistent outcomes in clinical trials to allow effective comparison of treatment effects. No systematic review has previously looked at the reporting of outcome measures used in randomised controlle... Read More about Which outcomes are reported in cellulitis trials?: results of a review of outcomes included in cellulitis trials and a patient priority setting survey.

'When it goes back to my normal I suppose': A qualitative study using online focus groups to explore perceptions of 'control' among people with eczema and parents of children with eczema in the UK (2017)
Journal Article
Howells, L. M., Chalmers, J. R., Cowdell, F., Ratib, S., Santer, M., & Thomas, K. S. (2017). 'When it goes back to my normal I suppose': A qualitative study using online focus groups to explore perceptions of 'control' among people with eczema and parents of children with eczema in the UK. BMJ Open, 7, e017731. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017731

© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted. Objective: To inform the development of a core outcome set... Read More about 'When it goes back to my normal I suppose': A qualitative study using online focus groups to explore perceptions of 'control' among people with eczema and parents of children with eczema in the UK.

A systematic review of diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in adults and children: evidence from studies with a primary aim to develop or validate diagnostic criteria (2017)
Journal Article
Burden-Teh, E., Phillips, R., Thomas, K., Ratib, S., Grindlay, D., & Murphy, R. (2018). A systematic review of diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in adults and children: evidence from studies with a primary aim to develop or validate diagnostic criteria. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(5), 1035-1043. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16104

Background: The diagnosis of psoriasis in adults and children is made clinically, for both patient management and the selection of participants in research. Diagnostic criteria provide a structure for clinical assessment, which in turn helps standard... Read More about A systematic review of diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in adults and children: evidence from studies with a primary aim to develop or validate diagnostic criteria.

The views of children and young people on the use of silk garments for the treatment of eczema: a nested qualitative study within the CLOTHES randomised controlled trial (2017)
Journal Article
Wake, E., Batchelor, J. M., Lawton, S., Thomas, K., Harrison, E. F., & Cowdell, F. (2018). The views of children and young people on the use of silk garments for the treatment of eczema: a nested qualitative study within the CLOTHES randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(1), 183-190. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.15909

Background: Many children suffer with skin diseases, but to date, most dermatological research has been done ‘on’ rather than ‘with’ children; in this study we actively sought the experiences of children and young people. Atopic eczema (AE) is a chro... Read More about The views of children and young people on the use of silk garments for the treatment of eczema: a nested qualitative study within the CLOTHES randomised controlled trial.

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.

Identifying priority areas for research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cellulitis (erysipelas): results of a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership (2017)
Journal Article
Thomas, K., Brindle, R., Chalmers, J., Gamble, B., Francis, N., Hardy, D., …Wilkes, S. (in press). Identifying priority areas for research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cellulitis (erysipelas): results of a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership. British Journal of Dermatology, 177(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.15634

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.

Do guidelines for treating chest disease in children use Cochrane Reviews effectively?: a systematic review (2017)
Journal Article
Prayle, A., Cox, T., Smith, S., Rycroft-Malone, J., Thomas, K. S., Hughes, D. A., & Smyth, A. R. (in press). Do guidelines for treating chest disease in children use Cochrane Reviews effectively?: a systematic review. Thorax, https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-208790

Cochrane Reviews summarise best evidence and should inform guidelines. We assessed the use of Cochrane Reviews in the UK guidelines for paediatric respiratory disease. We found 21 guidelines which made 1025 recommendations, of which 96 could be infor... Read More about Do guidelines for treating chest disease in children use Cochrane Reviews effectively?: a systematic review.

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.

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.

Investigating the effect of independent blinded digital image assessment on the STOP GAP trial (2017)
Journal Article
Patsko, E., Godolphin, P. J., Thomas, K. S., Hepburn, T., Mitchell, E., Craig, F. E., …Montgomery, A. A. (2017). Investigating the effect of independent blinded digital image assessment on the STOP GAP trial. Trials, 18(1), Article 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-1779-9

Background Blinding is the process of keeping treatment assignment hidden and is used to minimise the possibility of bias. Trials at high risk of bias have been shown to report larger treatment effects than low risk studies. In dermatology, one popu... Read More about Investigating the effect of independent blinded digital image assessment on the STOP GAP 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.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 2. Treatment and prevention (2016)
Journal Article
Lloyd-Lavery, A., Rogers, N. K., Hatfield, S. J., Grindlay, D., Barnett, R., & Thomas, K. S. (2017). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 2. Treatment and prevention. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 42(1), 3-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.12967

This review forms part of a series of annual updates that summarize the evidence base for atopic eczema (AE). It provides a summary of key findings from 12 systematic reviews (SRs) that were published or indexed during 2014, and focuses on the treatm... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 2. Treatment and prevention.

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.

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 1. Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes (2016)
Journal Article
Hatfield, S. J., Rogers, N. K., Lloyd-Lavery, A., Grindlay, D., Barnett, R., & Thomas, K. S. (2016). What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 1. Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 41(8), 843-846. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.12977

This review summarizes key findings from nine systematic reviews on atopic eczema (AE) published or first indexed in 2014. It focuses on epidemiology, disease processes and methodological issues. There is reasonable evidence to conclude that high bir... Read More about What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 1. Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes.

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?.

Strategies used for measuring long-term control in atopic dermatitis trials: A systematic review (2016)
Journal Article
Barbarot, S., Rogers, N. K., Abuabara, K., Aubert, H., Chalmers, J., Flohr, C., …Thomas, K. S. (2016). Strategies used for measuring long-term control in atopic dermatitis trials: A systematic review. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 75(5), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.05.043

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. There are no standardised methods for capturing long-term control of AD. Objective: To identify how long-term control has been captured in published randomised controlled t... Read More about Strategies used for measuring long-term control in atopic dermatitis trials: A systematic review.

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.

Report from the fourth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative) (2016)
Journal Article
Chalmers, J., Simpson, E., Apfelbacher, C., Thomas, K., von Kobyletzki, L., Schmitt, J., …Spuls, P. (2016). Report from the fourth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative). British Journal of Dermatology, 175(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14773

This article is a report of the fourth meeting of the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative held in Malmö, Sweden on 23–24 April 2015 (HOME IV). The aim of the meeting was to achieve consensus over the preferred outcome instrument... Read More about Report from the fourth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative).

The epidemiology of childhood psoriasis: a scoping review (2016)
Journal Article
Burden-Teh, E., Thomas, K. S., Ratib, S., Grindlay, D. J., Adaji, E., & Murphy, R. (2016). The epidemiology of childhood psoriasis: a scoping review. British Journal of Dermatology, 174(6), 1242-1257. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14507

Psoriasis is an inflammatory noncommunicable skin disease that affects both adults and children. At present, the epidemiology and natural history of psoriasis are not widely understood. This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on the... Read More about The epidemiology of childhood psoriasis: a scoping review.

Manipulation and reduction of paediatric fractures of the distal radius and forearm using intranasal diamorphine and 50% oxygen and nitrous oxide in the emergency department (2016)
Journal Article
Kurien, T., Price, K., Pearson, R. G., & Hunter, J. (in press). Manipulation and reduction of paediatric fractures of the distal radius and forearm using intranasal diamorphine and 50% oxygen and nitrous oxide in the emergency department. Bone and Joint Journal, 98B(1), https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.98B1.36118

A retrospective study was performed in 100 children aged between two and 16 years, with a dorsally angulated stable fracture of the distal radius or forearm, who were treated with manipulation in the emergency department (ED) using intranasal diamorp... Read More about Manipulation and reduction of paediatric fractures of the distal radius and forearm using intranasal diamorphine and 50% oxygen and nitrous oxide in the emergency department.

A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance (2015)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, P., Brown, R. J., Tsoleridis, T., Persson, M. A., Krey, T., …Tarr, A. W. (2016). A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance. Journal of Virology, 90(7), 3288-3301. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02700-15

Despite significant advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the need to develop preventative vaccines remains. Identification of the best vaccine candidates and evaluation of their performance in preclinical and clinical devel... Read More about A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance.

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.

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.

A sequence-based approach for prediction of CsrA/RsmA targets in bacteria with experimental validation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2014)
Journal Article
Kulkarni, P. R., Jia, T., Kuehne, S. H., Kerkering, T. M., Morris, E. R., Searle, M. S., …Kulkarni, R. V. (in press). A sequence-based approach for prediction of CsrA/RsmA targets in bacteria with experimental validation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nucleic Acids Research, 42(11), https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gku309

CsrA/RsmA homologs are an extensive family of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-binding proteins that function as global post-transcriptional regulators controlling important cellular processes such as secondary metabolism, motility, biofilm formation and the p... Read More about A sequence-based approach for prediction of CsrA/RsmA targets in bacteria with experimental validation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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..

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

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.