One of our medical advisors, Prof. Dr. Suzanne Pasmans, on February 7, 2014, gave her inaugural lecture held at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (Netherlands).
The title of her lecture was ‘short lines in children’s dermatology’. Suzanne gave an impressive presentation in the special role of children’s dermatology and it was very promising! At the end of her inaugural lecture, she carried out, along with a number of patients, the official opening of the Skin House. A crucial note from Suzanne, “Children are not small adults” (this has been said by Prof. Arnold Oranje too often as a children’s dermatologist). Treating children with dermatological problems is really different than in adults!
In the Netherlands there are about 1.2 million children per year in which a skin disorder is diagnosed. Common skin diseases are eczema, infections, strawberry spots, birthmarks, diaper rash, and acne. In 20 percent of cases of eczema there is a serious defect that requires care by a specialist, but these patients are sometimes referred too late to a specialist. The correct diagnosis is not written, or a good treatment plan isn’t developed, with all its consequences for the child.
Moreover, also for the reverse comes, that children unnecessarily are referred to a specialist. On Skin House parents of children with a skin abnormality do a symptom check. For example, the child has suffered from red spots on the head and has itching, these symptoms are checked and then a list of diseases pops up, with pictures to compare with the symptoms of the child. Parents can then start a treatment with self care resources themselves, or they can determine whether a child needs professional care. Also if a diagnosis is already established, parents can visit Skin House. In a library of alphabetically arranged diseases is reliable information. Parents can read what treatments there are, find out when they should be referred to a specialist, if it can be reduced with medication, and how to do it. Also, all medical guidelines are included.
The experience of Suzanne is that parents are excellent partners of professional health care providers. It takes the view that doctors should make better use of them. Every parent or parent can create a file in the Skin House and keep track of the steps he/she has taken during the treatment. This file can then be shared with other treating physicians, annotations can also be made, so that every health care provider knows which route the patient has gone through and what medication has been administered. Skin conditions are often underestimated. Maybe because we feel they are normal because they occur so often. It is important that the training of young medical doctors, general practitioners, and pediatricians in this area improves by having a clear place in their training because the figures are shocking high. The Skin House is not yet available in English.
The above text is partly copied from the website of Netherlands youth health care Doctors.
