Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a genetic blistering skin condition for which no cure exists. Symptom alleviation and quality of life are therefore central to EB care. This study aimed to gain insight into EB patient needs and benefits from current clinical care. Two questionnaires were administered cross-sectionally to adult EB patients at the Dutch expertise centre for blistering diseases. Patient needs and benefits were analyzed using the patient benefit index survey (PBI-S). Ancillary data were compiled pertaining to self-reported EB severity, pain and pruritus, as well as current and previous treatments. In total, 104 participants were included (response rate 69.8%). Sixty-eight participants comprised the analyzed cohort (n = 36 omitted from analysis). The needs given the highest importance were to get better skin quickly (64.7%) and to be healed of all skin alterations (61.8%). A positive correlation between pain and EB severity and the importance of most needs was observed. Minimal clinically important differences within the PBI-S, relating to reported benefits from clinical care, were reported by 60.3% of the cohort. This study highlights a discrepancy between patient needs and feasible treatment outcomes. Utilizing the PBI-S in conjunction with well-established multidisciplinary care may catalyze the process of tailoring treatments to the needs of individual patients.

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare, genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of skin fragility disorders. No cure is currently available, but many novel and repurposed treatments are upcoming. For adequate evaluation and comparison of clinical studies in EB, well-defined and consistent consensus-endorsed outcomes and outcome measurement instruments are necessary. Objectives: To identify previously reported outcomes in EB clinical research, group these outcomes by outcome domains and areas and summarize respective outcome measurement instruments. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO and trial registries covering the period between January 1991 and September 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated a treatment in a minimum of three patients with EB. Two reviewers independently performed the study selection and data extraction. All identified outcomes and their respective instruments were mapped onto overarching outcome domains. The outcome domains were stratified according to subgroups of EB type, age group, intervention, decade and phase of clinical trial. Results: The included studies (n = 207) covered a range of study designs and geographical settings. A total of 1280 outcomes were extracted verbatim and inductively mapped onto 80 outcome domains and 14 outcome areas. We found a steady increase in the number of published clinical trials and outcomes reported over the past 30 years. The included studies mainly focused on recessive dystrophic EB (43%). Wound healing was reported most frequently across all studies and referred to as a primary outcome in 31% of trials. Great heterogeneity of reported outcomes was observed within all stratified subgroups. Moreover, a diverse range of outcome measurement instruments (n = 200) was identified. Conclusions: We show substantial heterogeneity in reported outcomes and outcome measurement instruments in EB clinical research over the past 30 years. This review is the first step towards harmonization of outcomes in EB, which is necessary to expedite the clinical translation of novel treatments for patients with EB.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) concerns a heterogeneous group of rare genetic skin fragility disorders that result in chronic blistering and wounding. EB significantly impacts the daily lives of patients with EB, as well as their families. While advances in diagnostics are improving the speed and accuracy of EB diagnosis, little is known about the experiences and needs of parents and patients throughout their diagnostic journey. In this qualitative study, we explore the parent and patient perspective on the EB diagnostic trajectory to gain an in-depth understanding of their lived experiences and needs. Participants were parents of paediatric patients (n=18), and adult patients (n=8) recruited from the Dutch EB Registry. After purposive sampling, they participated in semi-structured interviews via video-calls to discuss their personal diagnostic trajectory and the subsequent impact of EB diagnosis on their (family) life. Applying a constructivist approach, a reflexive thematic analysis was executed to facilitate a dynamic and iterative process, involving inductive open coding of transcripts and constant comparison of data. Ten major themes were developed, representing three distinct groups: (i) parents of children with JEB and RDEB, (ii) parents of children with EBS and DDEB, and (iii) adult patients with localized EB. The EB diagnostic process appeared to have a diversity of emotional consequences, varying from desperation and uncertainty about the future, to clarification and confirmation. The urgent need for a timely diagnosis and accurate prognosis was emphasized, particularly by parents of children with extensive presentation. Both parents and patients expressed shortcomings in clinical practice, with severity ratings in current EB disease terminology in particular seeming to have an adverse impact on illness perception, healthcare-seeking behaviour, research participation, and engagement in peer support. This study describes the lived experience and needs of parents of children and adult patients during the diagnostic process of EB. We show an urgent need to accelerate diagnostics and imply that the EB community should continue working towards ever faster diagnosis, public awareness, and education. While guiding patients along the diagnostic journey, clinicians should focus their support strategies on tailored medical communication, while refraining from value-connoted wording.

Background: Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease (AIBD) and has two main subtypes, pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF). For adequate interpretation and comparison of clinical studies in pemphigus, it is essential to have outcomes and outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) that are well-defined, uniform and relevant. Objectives: To provide a comprehensive overview of previously reported outcomes and OMIs in pemphigus clinical research over the past two decades. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science and trial registries covering the period between January 2002 and December 2023. Clinical trials, prospective cohort studies and systematic reviews were included. Retrospective studies were excluded. All identified outcomes and their respective OMIs were grouped into outcome domains and areas. Results: From all the included studies (n = 205), a total of 1502 outcomes were extracted verbatim, categorized in 55 outcome domains and 11 outcome areas. We found a gradual increase in the number of published trials over the past two decades. The included studies mainly focused on ‘clinical response’ (92%), ‘safety monitoring’ (75%) and ‘immune response’ (61%). ‘Quality of life’ was sparsely reported (12%). Heterogeneity of reported outcomes was observed across all study designs. Within the outcome area ‘clinical response’, the proportion of defined outcomes based on the 2008 consensus statement has not been consistent over time. However, four recent clinical trials used primary endpoints based on the 2008 consensus definitions. Moreover, a broad spectrum of outcome measurement instruments (n = 65) was reported. Conclusions: This review showed a wide variety in reported outcomes and OMIs in pemphigus clinical research over the past two decades. Despite standardization efforts, most studies still lack well-defined, consistent and relevant outcomes and OMIs. However, a positive trend is emerging as four recent trials did use consensus-based definitions and patient-focused OMIs. Nevertheless, the outcomes are overly stringent, lack patient-centeredness, and do not include intermediate endpoints. Therefore, refinement of the 2008 expert consensus statement through collaborative efforts of all stakeholders is essential to promote uniformity in future pemphigus outcome measurement and to advance pemphigus drug development.

The COSEB kick-off meeting was organized in April 2023, and highlighted the stakeholder perspectives on the unmet and urgent need to work towards reasonable harmonization of outcome measurement in epidermolysis bullosa (EB) by developing core outcome sets for the different EB types. Standardized and uniform outcome assessment holds great promise to reduce selective reporting, improve the comparability and pooling of treatment outcomes, and enhance the efficacy of future research in EB.

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune bullous disease. It is characterized by the development of tense blisters and pruritus. BP is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment often associated with serious side effects. Developments in understanding the disease have led to novel treatment approaches evaluated in clinical trials. However, the pooling of trial data remains challenging due to inconsistent outcome reporting. Objectives: To provide an overview of BP outcome measurement over the last two decades by mapping and listing all previously reported treatment outcomes and outcome measurement instruments (OMIs). Methods: A large scoping review was performed using scientific databases and trial registries (January 2002–August 2025). Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by a minimum of two reviewers. Eligible study designs were clinical trials, prospective cohort studies and systematic reviews. Retrospective studies were excluded. All identified outcomes and OMIs were mapped into overarching domains for insights into outcome measurement trends over time, including the uptake of consensus definitions. Results: Eighty studies were included, consisting of clinical trials (n = 27), prospective cohort studies (n = 27) and systematic reviews (n = 26). A total of 659 outcomes were extracted verbatim and classified into 46 outcome domains across 10 outcome domain areas. Clinical response, safety and immunological response comprised a major part of outcome measurement. Moreover, steroid toxicity has increasingly been considered in clinical trials. Definitions and timepoints of clinical response varied considerably. An imbalance between patient-reported (PROs) and clinician-reported outcomes was revealed, with PROs being in the minority, as well as a diverging focus between primary analyses in clinical trials and secondary analyses in systematic reviews. OMIs used to measure patient impact and quality of life were mainly generic and only sparsely used. Conclusions: Over the past two decades, there has been considerable heterogeneity in reported outcomes and OMIs in BP research. Despite standardization efforts, most studies lack well-defined, consistent outcomes. Redefinition of some endpoints and a consensus-based approach towards outcome uniformity should bridge regulatory requirements with validated sensitive measurement and PROs. This approach would enhance the clinical relevance of trial endpoints while maintaining standardization, ultimately advancing research quality and therapeutic development.