Swiss Itch Registry (SWITCHR)

University Hospital Basel

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Pruritus

Treatments: Other: Data collection

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06120907

2023-00310 th21Mueller;

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project is to develop a national registry for CP patients. Patients admitted to this registry will be examined and documented with PROs, physician-based assessments, blood tests, 3D photodocumentation and, if indicated, by skin biopsies, neurophysiological testing and radiological imaging at defined timepoints. The data collection will allow deepened insights into patient needs, different mechanisms and courses of pruritic conditions, treatment outcomes and treatment-related safety issues. In addition, the collection of clinical, biological and image-based data may be used for retrospective analyses.

Full description

Pruritus (synonymous "itch") is the commonest skin-related symptom caused by numerous dermatological and non-dermatological conditions. Chronic pruritus (CP) defined by a duration of > 6 weeks is associated with significantly impaired quality of life and high socio-economic burden. At present, a data registry to monitor and compare clinical presentation, treatment outcomes and safety issues of these patients is lacking in Switzerland. The implementation of the SWITCHR could help to i.) improve medical care of CP patients, ii.) allow standardised comparison of different pruritic conditions as well as national data with international CP populations and iii.) raise the awareness for CP in general practitioners, health care institutions, national public health authorities and pharmaceutical companies within Switzerland.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 14 years.
• Written informed consent of the patient.
• Diagnosis of CP irrespective of the International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) group (I-III) and/or underlying cause (according to the judgment of the investigator).
• A Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score of min. ≥ 4 within the last 7 days.
• Sufficient language skills (in the languages which the patient information and the consent form is available) to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Any medical or psychological condition in the treating physician's opinion, which may prevent the patient in registry participation
• Lack of informed consent for registry participation.
• Refusal to complete Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs)