Advocacy for a shared physician/patient approach for the management of acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis and photodamage

Over the last decades, actively involving patients in the care of their disease has gained traction in the global treatment approach of cancer and other chronic diseases, but also in skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. This is supported by new strategies and advancements in the domain of disease diagnostics, treatment and prevention, combined with the rapidly evolving digitization of medicine and consumerism.

Here, we report our personal experience of a shared physician/patient model for the global management of four other skin conditions (acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis and photodamage) which all have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life, as discussed during a virtual meeting in November 2020.

As an outcome of our discussion and based on our experience, winning patients’ confidence, providing them with clear and concise information on their condition, and explaining how they may participate are key to successful management of their chronic skin condition.

In addition to prescribing and explaining the best adapted treatment, the patients should be advised about the relapsing and long-lasting nature of the condition that requires long-term pharmacological treatment and the potential risk/benefit ratio of the treatment.

In addition to these face-to-face discussions, further prevention through dedicated and validated educational programmes via the internet, advertisements, videos, information leaflets, patient associations and training sessions led by qualified nurses or others may lead to improved awareness and provide additional and updated information.