Telehealth Model Matches In-Person Care for Atopic Dermatitis: JAMA
A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) improved with an online team-based connected health (TCH) model to the same extent as with conventional in-person therapy.
It is critical to treat atopic dermatitis in a way that is both accessible and efficient across geographical borders. There is still a need for scalable, collaborative care models that incorporate patients, primary care physicians, and specialists. Thus, this study was set to look if in-person care and an online, team-based connected health model offer comparable benefits in AD severity.
300 AD patients from eight outpatient dermatological clinics in California were participated in this pragmatic, randomized clinical equivalency study between August 2019 and May 2024. They were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive online or in-person therapy. Participants had to be at least one year old, have access to the internet and photos, have a doctor's diagnosis of AD, and get either new or established clinician treatment. Dermatologists have online, asynchronous access through the TCH approach.
Dermatologists conducted online evaluations and therapy suggestions after reviewing the clinical histories and photos of their patients. Conventional, in-person treatment was given by the control arm. Changes in the POEM (Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure) and verified vIGA (Investigator Global Assessment), which were evaluated on a quarterly basis, were secondary objectives. The main endpoint was the 12-month change in the EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index).
Out of 300 individuals with AD (mean [SD] age, 34.6 [17.7] years; 211 [70.3%] female), 151 were allocated to in-person care and 149 to TCH. For the EASI, POEM, and vIGA, the mean change difference between the two groups was −0.01 (95% CI, −0.22 to 0.20), 0.38 (95% CI, 0.03-0.73), and 0.06 (95% CI, 0.00-0.11). Every discrepancy was contained within predetermined equivalency margins.
When compared to in-person therapy, the online TCH model produced improvements in AD signs and symptoms that were comparable. The results imply that telemedicine may be a useful strategy for treating long-term illnesses like AD in both adult and juvenile patients. The TCH model provides a scalable alternative that might aid in increasing access to high-quality dermatological treatment by improving accessibility and achieving equivalent clinical outcomes.
Reference:
Armstrong, A. W., Roberts, A. M., Kostandy, G., Choudhury, F., Yee, D., Luu, M., Jones, M. E., Alizadeh, E. R., Cotliar, J., Chren, M.-M., Gelfand, J. M., Cockburn, M., & Doctor, J. N. (2026). Online vs in-person care for atopic dermatitis: A randomized clinical trial: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatology (Chicago, Ill.). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.1959
