United Kingdom

Literature Review Key Findings

Patients with AD and their caregivers in the UK experience significant burden due to disease symptoms and psychosocial consequences of AD. Several studies have characterized the quality of life and psychosocial burdens, but relatively few studies assessed interventions to mitigate them. Different subsets of the increasingly diverse population in the UK have unique needs regarding AD, and future studies should better characterize these differences to reduce inequalities in diagnosis and treatment based on race and socioeconomic. Finally, few studies in the UK have mapped the comorbidities associated with AD; this topic is better studied in the US, Germany, and Denmark. 

A misalignment in the conceptualization of AD and treatment goals may influence patient and caregiver dissatisfaction with care and suboptimal treatment. Providers tend to focus on visible disease manifestations, but many patients care just as much about improving quality of life, reducing itching and scratching, improving sleep, and alleviating mental health symptoms. Survey studies conducted in the UK noted that some patients and caregivers felt these concerns were not evaluated as thoroughly as those pertaining to physical disease symptoms. Furthermore, providers focus on managing the symptoms of AD while caregivers search for a treatable cause. 

Both parents and caregivers experience confusion regarding appropriate and effective treatment regimens, adding to the caregiver burden and reducing adherence to the evidence-based recommendations. Educational interventions succeeded at increasing adherence to treatment regimens and improving outcomes. Although the personal financial burden is not as dramatic in the UK as in other countries, the cost of AD treatment still can be significant, and costly alternative therapies for AD may add to this measure of burden.

Several additional interventions have had modest success in the UK by devoting sufficient time to patient education and clear communication, often with nurse-led programs. These preliminary findings suggest that the key to improving patient satisfaction may be thorough strategies like education with continuous reinforcement of ideas. The ongoing development of additional treatment options for severe disease and more efficacious treatments may significantly reduce the burden, address unmet needs, and increase satisfaction with treatment options and healthcare delivery in the UK. 

Learn more about the findings gathered from the United Kingdom literature review.