Feasibility trial of intervention for acne
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An internet intervention to support self-management of acne vulgaris amongst young people: a feasibility randomised trial
IRAS ID
242570
Contact name
Athena Ip
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Acne is a skin condition that is very common amongst young people aged between 14 and 19 years. It can cause low moods, anxiety and embarrassment if not managed appropriately. The main treatments for acne are topical medications. These are creams and gels that can be applied to the skin. Many people don’t use these long enough to see any improvement, as they need to be used for up to 8 weeks before they start working. Side effects including skin irritation can also stop people from using topical treatments regularly, although most side effects can be avoided with the correct detailed advice. For these reasons, many people go on to use antibiotics. This is a concern because of the rising levels of antibiotic resistance. Acne is usually treated in primary care but as treatment needs to be used daily in order for it to work, and health care professionals only have 10 minute consultations, it is important to give people the tools to manage their skin condition themselves. There are currently no websites available which support people in managing their acne. We developed a website called ‘SPOTless’ to promote the appropriate use of topicals. This study will invite people aged 14 to 25 via general practices and community advertising to see how a website can provide support for young people to help manage their acne alongside their usual care. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups, both of which will involve answering questions about themselves at baseline, 4 weeks and 6 weeks. The intervention group will have access to the website and usual care whilst the control group will have usual care only. Participants will be given the option to take part in an interview about their experiences of the trial and the website after 6 weeks.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0105
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion