title: Choice of Moisturiser for Eczema Treatment (COMET): feasibility study of a randomised controlled parallel group trial in children recruited from primary care.
abstract: To determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of 'leave on' emollients for children with eczema.
  
  
  
  Single-centre, pragmatic, 4-arm, observer-blinded, parallel, randomised feasibility trial.
  
  
  
  General practices in the UK.
  
  
  
  Children with eczema aged 1 month to <5 years.
  
  
  
  Primary outcome-proportion of parents who reported use of the allocated study emollient every day for the duration of follow-up (12 weeks). Other feasibility outcomes-participant recruitment and retention, data collection and completeness and blinding of observers to allocation.
  
  
  
  Aveeno lotion, Diprobase cream, Doublebase gel, Hydromol ointment.
  
  
  
  197 children were recruited-107 by self-referral (mainly via practice mail-outs) and 90 by inconsultation (clinician consenting and randomising) pathways. Participants recruited inconsultation were younger, had more severe Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure scores and were more likely to withdraw than self-referrals. Parents of 20 (10%) of all the randomised participants reported using the allocated emollient daily for 84 days. The use of other non-study emollients was common. Completeness of data collected by parent-held daily diaries and at monthly study visits was good. Daily diaries were liked (81%) but mainly completed on paper rather than via electronic ('app') form. Major costs drivers were general practitioner consultations and eczema-related prescriptions. Observer unblinding was infrequent, and occurred at the baseline or first follow-up visit through accidental disclosure.
  
  
  
  It is feasible in a primary care setting to recruit and randomise young children with eczema to emollients, follow them up and collect relevant trial data, while keeping observers blinded to their allocation. However, reported use of emollients (study and others) has design implications for future trials.
  
  
  
  ISRCTN21828118/EudraCT2013-003001-26.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ridd
authors.affiliation: Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Garfield
authors.affiliation: Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Daisy M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gaunt
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0782-3117
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hollinghurst
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Niamh M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Redmond
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Kingsley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.affiliation: Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004485:Eczema / Q000628:therapy*; D004643:Emollients / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D004643:Emollients
keywords: PRIMARY CARE