title: Disease Severity and Quality of Life Measurements in Contact Dermatitis: A Systematic Review 2005-2015.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contact dermatitis (CD) has been assessed by numerous disease severity indices resulting in heterogeneity across published research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate published CD severity scales and identify a criterion standard for assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scopus and Ovid MEDLINE were searched for human randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CD severity measures published during a 10-year period. Eligible studies were English-language RCTs reporting disease severity outcome measures for CD in humans. Studies were excluded if they were duplicates, not available in English, not related to CD, not RCTs, not conducted on human subjects, or did not report relevant outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 22 disease outcome measures were used in 81 included RCTs. Instrument-based measures were used in 40 (49.4%) studies, and visual assessments were used in 66 (81.5%) RCTs. Only 5 (6.2%) studies reported quality of life (QoL) outcomes. Two (2.5%) studies used a clinical severity scale, which combined both QoL and visual assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was limited by the exclusion of non-RCTs and gray literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wide variation in CD outcome measures exists including instrument-based measures, visual assessments, and QoL outcomes. A standardized outcome measure must be generated to reduce heterogeneity.
authors: From the *University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks; †University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora; ‡Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids; §University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando; ∥Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora; and ¶Department of Dermatology, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, CO.
authors: Taylor
authors: T
authors: Braunberger
authors: Darren
authors: D
authors: Lynn
authors: Christie
authors: C
authors: Reimer
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Doctor
authors: Mary K
authors: MK
authors: Hill
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Mounessa
authors: Cory A
authors: CA
authors: Dunnick
mesh_terms: D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires