Supporting evidence and recommendations for the management of patients with systemic-eligible atopic dermatitis: A Canadian consensus document

TL;DR

This paper presents a Canadian consensus on managing atopic dermatitis with systemic therapies, offering expert-based recommendations for healthcare providers.

Contribution

The paper provides a tailored consensus document for Canadian healthcare systems on systemic treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Findings

A panel of 14 experts reached consensus on 29 statements through three rounds of voting.

The statements are based on expert opinion due to a lack of evidence-based clinical research on patient outcomes.

The recommendations focus on practical management rather than specific treatment guidelines.

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing, and remitting inflammatory skin disease. Multiple systemic therapeutic options are available to treat atopic dermatitis.

To provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of systemic therapies for atopic dermatitis in Canada that consider the nuances of the Canadian healthcare system and provide guidance for populations of clinical interest.

A panel of 14 experts, including 11 dermatologists from Canada and 3 from the United States, reviewed available literature on systemic therapies for atopic dermatitis. The published evidence, along with clinical expertise and opinion, was used to draft a concise set of statements to guide healthcare providers in Canada on systemic treatment of atopic dermatitis.

During 3 rounds of virtual meetings with all 14 experts voting in all meetings, a total of 29 statements reached the 75% agreement required for consensus.

The consensus statements are based on expert opinions and consensus in the absence of evidence-based clinical research for patient outcomes. The statements represent considerations for patient management and not specific guidelines for patient treatment.

The recommendations and statements provided serve to guide Canadian healthcare providers on the practical aspects of managing systemic-eligible patients with atopic dermatitis.

Figures