2015 dermatology / skin report

Reports
April 2015

The aim of our group is to promote research into the diagnosis and management of the skin problems commonly seen in primary care, through networking, collaboration, on-line discussion and meetings such as the last one held on 30 January 2015.

This annual meeting (the fifth since the group’s inception in 2011) was hosted by the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (University of Nottingham) and held at the British Association of Dermatologists in London.  It was attended by 20 people, both clinicians (GPs and dermatologists) and methodologists, and for the first time we had representation from the Primary Care Dermatology Society.

A mixture of proposed (Skin integrity of older people – Fiona Cowdell, Health economics of eczema – Tracey Sach, Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis - Esther Burden-The, Interventions for self-management for eczema - Miriam Santer/Kim Thomas, Cellulitis prevention – Miriam Santer) and on-going research (ALPHA, SKINS, BEEP, COMET & BATHE studies) was presented and discussed.  This work included systematic reviews, qualitative, clinical trials and electronic medical record studies.  Tannaz Aliabadi-Zadeh from BMJ learning joined the group in the afternoon and opportunities for developing on-line modules were raised.

We next plan to meet at the SAPC Annual Scientific meeting in Oxford, July 2015.  The group currently has 54 members on the email list, of which ~20 are active in primary care dermatology research.  It is affiliated to the Clinical Research Network Dermatology Specialty Group

New members are always welcome – we would particularly like to expend our membership to include interested researchers outside of the UK.  The group benefits from a strong relationship with the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine and is always looking for ways to support the development of research relevant to primary care through partner organisations.