RAPID and Efficient Eczema Trials (RAPID programme)

BACKGROUND Eczema is an itchy, long-term skin condition that affects people of all ages, ethnicities and socio-economic groups. Questions about skincare, washing and how to use eczema treatments are a high priority for patients, but are rarely the focus of large, high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Innovative methods are needed to address these patient/public priorities in an efficient and reliable way. AIM: To improve the lives of people living with eczema by partnering with citizen scientists to deliver multiple, efficient online RCTs and to share new knowledge with those who need it. OBJECTIVES: To establish an "Eczema Citizen Science Community" of people with lived experience of eczema willing to co-produce and disseminate results of the RCTs. To embed strategies for engaging with people from diverse communities throughout. To answer multiple prioritised research questions via online RCTs To ensure new knowledge is shared rapidly and effectively with patients, health professionals and other stakeholders. To identify transferable learning for conducting trials co-produced with citizen scientists in other long-term conditions. METHODS This programme combines the strengths of collaborative citizen-science with robust trial design to rapidly and efficiently answer research questions that can be implemented quickly. Through a series of interlinked co-produced workstreams, we will prioritise the most important questions; work with patients and members of the eczema community to co-produce feasible and inclusive interventions that are suitable for testing in large simple online RCTs; and ensure that the emerging evidence from these trials is rapidly shared and implemented. Workstream 1: will establish an "Eczema Citizen Science Community" of people willing to contribute to citizen science eczema trials. We will work in partnership with this community to prioritise research questions suitable for addressing in online trials; use co-production methods to design the online trials and develop interventions that are accessible and meaningful for people from diverse backgrounds; and prepare trial-specific recruitment materials that are inclusive and engaging. Workstream 2: includes at least three online randomised controlled trials to test the interventions developed in WS1. We will also validate an objective eczema severity assessment tool that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate digital photographs of the skin and establish whether this tool is a suitable alternative to face-to-face skin assessments in online trials. Workstream 3: uses co-production techniques to accelerate uptake of new knowledge, process evaluation to identify transferable learning for conducting citizen-science trials, and to identify factors likely to facilitate implementation of effective interventions. TIMELINES FOR DELIVERY: This 5-year programme will prioritise and define the research questions in year 1 and deliver the online trials from 18 months onwards. Knowledge mobilisation and process evaluation activities will take place throughout and inform delivery of the programme. IMPACTS AND DISSEMINATION: this programme aims to empower patients from diverse backgrounds, enhance knowledge about the management of eczema and inform clinical practice & guidelines. We have planned a comprehensive package of knowledge mobilisation activities, such as pop up session in shopping centres, online Q&A sessions and outreach engagement events, to ensure that reach for this research is sufficiently diverse.