Define Course of Itch
The course of itch can be assessed by means of validated, patient-reported outcomes.
ItchApp©
The ItchyApp© is an electronic diary designed as an application for the smartphone. The advantages of an electronic diary is that retrospective data may not be entirely rekable. The ItchyApp© was developed in compliance with validation guidelines and security regulations. The ItchyApp© consists of 7 items regadring the itch intensity and the course of pruritus. It is validated in English, German and Polish.
ItchyApp
The ItchyApp is an electronic diary designed as an application for the smartphone. It was developed by the European expert team under the leadership of the Competence center for Chronic Pruritus, Münster and is available in 11 languages (German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, French, Turkish, Swedish, Polish, Russian) for Google Android and Apple iOS.
5-D Itch Scale
The 5-D Itch Scale is a questionnaire consisting of 5 items used specifically to measure the course of itch by asking for the degree, duration, disability and distribution of the pruritus within the last 2 weeks.
- Time needed for completion: 5 minutes
- Free of charge
Itch Controlled Days (Itch CD)
The Itch CD is a questionnaire that has already been successfully validated in Germany (data pending publication) and was designed to analyze fluctuations in the pruritus intensity, as well as detect days on which patients were symptom-free. It can be used as a diary
- Time needed for completion: 10-15 minutes
- Languages: English, German and Polish
Dynamic Pruritus Score (DPS)
The DPS is an instrument comparing the reduction in the current level of pruritus with a defined point earlier in time. It is comprised of a horizontal line measuring itch improvement via 11 marks on a scale, each labelled with both a numerical and verbal description.
Patient Benefit Index-Pruritus (PBI-P)
The PBI-P is a questionnaire with 27 items comprised of two parts:
It was developed in order to evaluate the care situation of affected patients via an analysis of their therapeutic needs and treatment goals. The PBI-P allows for the identification of the importance of goals related not only to a variety of clinical symptoms, but also to psychological and social dimensions.
- A patient needs questionnaire (distributed pre-therapy)
- A patient benefits questionnaire (distributed post-therapy)
It was developed in order to evaluate the care situation of affected patients via an analysis of their therapeutic needs and treatment goals. The PBI-P allows for the identification of the importance of goals related not only to a variety of clinical symptoms, but also to psychological and social dimensions.
- Time needed for completion: 10-15 minutes
- Languages: Polish, German and English
References
- Schnitzler C, Rosen J, Szepietowski JC, Reich A, Yosipovitch G, Reszke R, Nattkemper LA, Osada N, Pihan D, Ständer S, Zeidler C. Validation of 'ItchApp©' in Poland and in the USA: multicentre validation study of an electronical diary for the assessment of pruritus. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019 Feb;33(2):398–404. doi: 10.1111/jdv.15300.
- Gernart M, Tsianakas A, Zeidler C, Riepe C, Osada N, Pihan D, Ständer S. ItchApp©: An App-based eDiary for Assessment of Chronic Pruritus in Clinical Trials. Acta Derm Venereol. 2017 May 8;97(5):601–606
- https://hippokrates-it.de/ItchyApp.en.html
- Schuster B, Dugas M, Zink A. Medizinische Apps – Möglichkeiten bei Pruritus [Medical apps-possibilities for pruritus]. Hautarzt. 2020;1–7.
doi:10.1007/s00105-020-04603-5
- Lai JW, Chen HC, Chou CY, Yen HR, Li TC, Sun MF, Chang HH, Huang CC, Tsai FJ, Tschen J, Chang CT. Transformation of 5-D itch scale and numerical rating scale in chronic hemodialysis patients. BMC Nephrol. 2017 Feb 8;18(1):56.
- Elman S, Hynan LS, Gabriel V, Mayo MJ. The 5-D itch scale: a new measure of pruritus. Br J Dermatol. 2010 Mar;162(3):587–93.
- Ständer S, Blome C, Anastasiadou Z, Zeidler C, Jung KA, Tsianakas A, Neufang G, Augustin M. Dynamic Pruritus Score: Evaluation of the Validity and Reliability of a New Instrument to Assess the Course of Pruritus. Acta Derm Venereol. 2017 Feb 8;97(2):230–234
- Steinke S, Bruland P, Blome C, Osada N, Dugas M, Fritz F, Augustin M, Ständer S. Chronic pruritus: evaluation of patient needs and treatment goals with a special regard to differences according to pruritus classification and sex. Br J Dermatol. 2017 Feb;176(2):363–370.
- Measuring patient-relevant benefits in pruritus treatment: development and validation of a specific outcomes tool. Blome C, Augustin M, Siepmann D, Phan NQ, Rustenbach SJ, Ständer S. Br J Dermatol. 2009 Nov;161(5):1143–8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365–2133.2009.09328.x.