Background: Supportive skin care for irritated and inflamed skin is one of the most important measures in the prevention and treatment of eczema and sensitive skin.
Objectives: To develop and validate an instrument for the evaluation of patient-relevant benefit in the supportive care of irritated skin with nonpharmacological topical agents.
Methods: Patient-defined treatment objectives and benefits of supportive skin care were determined in an open survey of patients with irritated skin. A pilot questionnaire was constructed according to the Patient Benefit Index (PBI). The questionnaire was tested for feasibility and validity in 1,886 patients with various irritated skin conditions.
Results: From a total of 90 characteristics of basic therapy benefit, a 23-item questionnaire was constructed. This questionnaire ('PBI-k') proved to be feasible, reliable and was associated with a high level of patient acceptance in the surveillance field. The questionnaire showed good internal consistency, distribution characteristics and convergent validity with patient satisfaction.
Conclusion: The PBI-k is the first specific instrument developed for the evaluation of patient-defined benefit in supportive skin care with nonpharmacological topical agents. Feasibility and psychometric properties make this questionnaire suitable for application in studies involving patients with irritated, sensitive skin.
2009 S. Karger AG, Basel