Health-related quality of life in hand eczema patients

Patient-reported outcomes, and in particular health-related quality of life (HRQOL), are becoming increasingly important for assessing therapeutic outcome. While the dermatological severity assessment remains relevant, regulators worldwide are also demanding that the added value of a new therapy should also be assessed from the patient perspective. In this article, we report on the impairments of HRQOL in hand eczema (HE), which continues to be ranked first in the list of the most common suspected indications of occupational disease. Furthermore, current developments regarding the assessment of HRQOL in HE are highlighted. The focus is thereby on the reporting of already published studies. The HE, especially in its chronic form, has a negative impact on HRQOL in those affected. Females are more often affected by HE and show greater impairment in HRQOL compared to males. So far, such impairments were recorded with generic or dermatology-specific instruments like the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). In 2012 the Quality of Life in Hand Eczema Questionnaire (QOLHEQ) was developed by an international expert team at the Department of Clinical Social Medicine at the University Hospital Heidelberg (Head of Department: Prof. Dr. Thomas L. Diepgen). It is the first disease-specific instrument to assess HRQOL impairment in HE. The QOLHEQ detects impairments in HRQOL based on four dimensions (a) symptoms, (b) emotions, (c) functions, and (d) treatment and prevention. It is suitable for use in international studies as it is available in eight language versions. Studies are underway which use the QOLHEQ to investigate the added value of new therapies for HE.