Optimisation of acne treatment via mobile phone app assisted management

A pilot study investigating the usability of a mobile phone app to optimise the management of acne in primary care

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN19434288

Enrollment

Registered

2020-06-17

Start date

2018-07-11

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2023-01-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acne Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Acne

Interventions

10 GP practices will be recruited to the study as Participant Identification Centers (PIC sites). Practice databases will be searched to identify patients with acne as an active problem, age range 16-

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Age 16-30 and able to give consent 2. Currently receiving treatment for acne in primary care 3. Ownership of a smartphone (Android or Apple) with a camera and enough memory to operate the app 4. Ability to operate the smartphone independently 5. Home wifi and/or adequate mobile data allowance

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients who are currently receiving treatment for depression or other psychiatric diseases. Mobile phone consultations have not been fully researched in vulnerable groups of patients 2. Currently under management in secondary care Dermatology

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Usability of mobile phone app measured using usability questionnaire at week 12 and week 14 2. Number of patients coded for active acne, age and sex distribution of acne patients in participating GP practices, measured by performing GP practice database searches at baseline 3. Number of patients responding to study invitation and consenting to join the study, measured at baseline 4. Patient’s photographs quality, by gathering qualitative data on the quality of images recorded with the app mainly to identify users who have produced poor quality photos that limit clinical evaluation, by reviewing the uploaded photographs at baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 12	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Usability of mobile phone app measured using usability questionnaire at week 12 and week 14 2. Number of patients coded for active acne, age and sex distribution of acne patients in participating GP practices, measured by performing GP practice database searches at baseline 3. Number of patients responding to study invitation and consenting to join the study, measured at baseline 4. Patient’s photographs quality, by gathering qualitative data on the quality of images recorded with the app mainly to identify users who have produced poor quality photos that limit clinical evaluation, by reviewing the uploaded photographs at baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 12

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Acne grading by the study doctor, according to the Leeds Revised Acne Grading System (LRAGS) at baseline and week 12 2. Impact of skin disease on the quality of life, measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (score ranges: 0-30) at baseline and week 12 3. Impact of mental health disorders (depression, anxiety, alcohol, eating, and somatoform disorders), measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) (score ranges: 0-27) at baseline and week 12	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Acne grading by the study doctor, according to the Leeds Revised Acne Grading System (LRAGS) at baseline and week 12 2. Impact of skin disease on the quality of life, measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (score ranges: 0-30) at baseline and week 12 3. Impact of mental health disorders (depression, anxiety, alcohol, eating, and somatoform disorders), measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) (score ranges: 0-27) at baseline and week 12

—

Countries

England, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026