Patient-oriented eczema measure score: A useful tool for web-based surveys in patients with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM, 0–28 points) is a self-assessed, repeatable measurement tool for measuring atopic dermatitis (AD) severity. Howaever, whether POEM score is influenced by allergic comorbidities and whether POEM’s severity banding is applicable in web-based surveys for AD remain unclear. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in 329 patients with AD. POEM, self-reported severity of AD, and comorbidity of allergic diseases including asthma, pollen rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and food allergy were assessed. POEM scores were not affected by a history of comorbid allergic diseases. The severity banding for POEM scores on the web-based survey was as follows: clear/almost clear = 0, mild = 1–8, moderate = 9–21, and severe/very severe = 22–28, which was comparable to previous banding. These results sug-gest that POEM is useful for determining AD severity, even in web-based surveys. Patients with POEM scores above 9 points may be grouped into moderate, severe, and very severe AD.