A clothing product that reduces skin irritation and helps to control bacteria has been found to reduce eczema symptoms in 96% of the patients who used it.
DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing from UK company Espère Healthcare Ltd was assessed via the Patient Orientated Eczema Measurement (POEM) scoring system, a measure of eczema severity recommended by NICE.
The study, in a group of 52 randomly selected patients, suggests that DermaSilk can significantly improve quality of life for eczema patients.
The POEM system is a questionnaire with seven simple questions to be answered by the patient. The answers are scored by an outside assessor.
52 randomly chosen families who ordered DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing for eczema care via the Internet were asked to complete the POEM questionnaire before starting to use the product and again four weeks after starting use. The average age of the patients was seven years.
96% of the families noted a significant improvement in itching within four weeks, with 49% reporting a complete cessation of itching. Sleep disturbance was reported in 40 patients at the start; after four weeks, it had completely disappeared in 27 of those patients, with another 17 reporting improvement.
Chris Steeples, Joint Managing Director of Espère Healthcare Ltd, said: “We regularly get feedback from mothers, thanking us for DermaSilk and telling us just how much it has changed their lives. Now a validated measure of eczema severity has confirmed just how much of an effect this product can have on the quality of life of not only the eczema patient but their whole family. We really do change lives.”
DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing is available via the NHS on prescription and directly from Espère Healthcare Ltd, based in Bedford.
DermaSilk