EHR Collaboration and New Steroid-Sparing Topicals in Pediatric Dermatoses

Effective longitudinal management of complex pediatric dermatoses increasingly depends on strong collaboration between pediatricians and dermatologists. Autumn Atkinson, MD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, describes how shared electronic health records, including high-quality clinical images, support real-time updates on evolving eruptions, medication exposures, and treatment responses. Adelaide Hebert, MD, professor and director of pediatric dermatology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, adds that photographic documentation can also be critical for insurance approval of advanced therapies, as payers often require visual evidence of disease severity.

Within this framework, Hebert reviews three newer targeted, steroid-free topical agents that are changing the treatment landscape for pediatric atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. These include ruxolitinib cream, a topical Janus kinase inhibitor approved for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis and vitiligo down to 2 years of age; tapinarof, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist approved for atopic dermatitis and plaque psoriasis in adults with emerging pediatric experience; and roflumilast cream, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor approved for pediatric atopic dermatitis and plaque psoriasis, including intertriginous disease.

In this segment, Hebert and Atkinson explain how these agents expand options for children in whom long-term steroid use is undesirable or ineffective. They highlight the benefits of expanded age indications, once-daily dosing, and suitability for sensitive areas, allowing clinicians to individualize therapy while minimizing corticosteroid-related adverse effects.