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Description
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory, non-contagious disease of the immune system. Its prevalence has been notably increasing over the past years, especially in the western world. The disease affects 5-10% of adults and as many as 30% of children, in 3 forms: mild, moderate, or severe. Its symptoms, in particular: rash, flare-ups, intense, and persistent itching, seriously affect the patients’ and their family’s quality of life.
The main goal of the project is to encourage empowerment and social inclusion of AD patients. A survey that will address the patients’ needs will be done for the first time in Slovenia, with the help of the participatory methods, and will provide statistically relevant and comprehensive information on prevalence of AD and the quality of patients’ lives. The patients and parents of children and youngsters with AD will, in the form of focus groups, participate, in close cooperation with medical professionals, in forming a questionnaire, and by using the online sourcing method – crowdsourcing in proposing solutions for psychosocial and medical support. We will train 10 AD ambassadors who will encourage and empower other patients and parents of children and youngsters, so they can make responsible decisions concerning their health, face the disease constructively and actively. The target group are patients with AD, parents of children and youngsters with AD, the professional and the general public. Our activities will be supported by a media campaign that will address the severity of the disease and distress of patients and in doing so decrease the stigmatisation, discrimination, and marginalization of patients with AD.
Partners from Norway and Slovenia are both hospitals that are providing health care to people with AD and will help with promotion of the project and dissemination of results. They also help with connecting people with AD with the lead partner (in case of Slovenian hospital) and transfer of best practice.