Keloid Scar — Assessing and Improving Patient Knowledge About Keloid Scars (Keloids)
Citation(s)
Juckett G, Hartman-Adams H Management of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Aug 1;80(3):253-60. Review.
Sclafani AP, Gordon L, Chadha M, Romo T 3rd Prevention of earlobe keloid recurrence with postoperative corticosteroid injections versus radiation therapy: a randomized, prospective study and review of the literature. Dermatol Surg. 1996 Jun;22(6):569-74.
Shaffer JJ, Taylor SC, Cook-Bolden F Keloidal scars: a review with a critical look at therapeutic options. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Feb;46(2 Suppl Understanding):S63-97. Review.
Shinchuk LM, Chiou P, Czarnowski V, Meleger AL Demographics and attitudes of chronic-pain patients who seek online pain-related medical information: implications for healthcare providers. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Feb;89(2):141-6. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e3181c56938.
Assessing and Improving Patient Knowledge About Keloids
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
