Developing and testing an online intervention to support self-management, improve outcomes and reduce antibiotic use in acne

Faculty of Medicine researchers are developing and testing new ways of helping people to treat and manage acne to improve outcomes and reduce the overuse of long-term oral antibiotics.

Acne is a common skin condition that causes spots and oily skin. It is most common in teenagers, but for 40-60% of people it will persist into adulthood with 20% of people affected by permanent scarring.

The £1.9 million study will develop and evaluate an online intervention to support acne self-management and establish how clinicians to reach people with early acne, promote use of the intervention amongst young people, and encourage health professionals to signpost and embed the intervention within clinical care pathways.

The programme is funded by the NIHR and is co-led by Professor Miriam Santer and Dr Ingrid Muller from Southampton Primary Care Research Centre

Professor Santer said: “People with acne have told us that if they had fully understood how to use topical treatments when they were younger, they might not have progressed to other acne treatments, such as long courses of antibiotics. We are aiming to find ways to help people look after this aspect of their health.”