ArticleBMJ open2018
Views and experiences of seeking information and help for vitiligo: a qualitative study of written accounts.
Article in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Prescribing and using vitiligo treatments: lessons from a nested process evaluation within the HI-Light vitiligo randomized controlled trial.Clinical and experimental dermatology · 2022Trial
- Home-based narrowband UVB, topical corticosteroid or combination for children and adults with vitiligo: HI-Light Vitiligo three-arm RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2020Trial
- Prolonged ruxolitinib cream treatment for vitiligo among patients with no or limited response in the first 6 months.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2026Article
- Understanding vitiligo-related concerns through online discourse: an AI-assisted cross-platform study of Chinese and global communities.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Canadian Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Vitiligo.Dermatology and therapy · 2025Article
- Assessing the readability of dermatological patient information leaflets generated by ChatGPT-4 and its associated plugins.Skin health and disease · 2025Article
- A qualitative exploration of the prospective acceptability of the MiDerm app; a complex digital intervention for adults living with skin conditions.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Vitiligo: Epidemiology and Economic Impact.Dermatology practical & conceptual · 2023Review
- Vitiligo prevalence and quality of life among adults in Europe, Japan and the USA.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2022Article
- The Current Status of Antioxidants in the Treatment of Vitiligo in China.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2022Article
- Yonder: Doctor emigration, vitiligo, canes, and self-harm pictures on Instagram.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesVitiligo is a relatively common autoimmune condition causing loss of skin pigment. Around 1 in 100 people in the UK develop vitiligo. It can have a significant impact on quality of life for many of those affected. How people access information and help for vitiligo may influence how they manage such impact. We aimed to explore people's views and experiences of seeking health information and help for vitiligo.
designQualitative analysis of free-text responses to four open-ended questions in an online survey.
settingOnline survey conducted in the UK between February and March 2016.
participantsA survey link was emailed to 675 members of The Vitiligo Society, a UK-based charity providing information and support for people with vitiligo. One hundred and sixty-one members responded to the survey (24%).
resultsMany participants wrote extensive free text, often reporting frustration with help-seeking. They perceived general practitioners (GP) as their primary source of advice but felt that GPs had low awareness of available treatments. Where GPs appeared sympathetic or signposted towards further information this was appreciated, even where people felt their GP had not seemed knowledgeable. Many felt that vitiligo was dismissed by health professionals including GPs and dermatologists as 'cosmetic', which upset those who experienced substantial impact. Participants expressed concerns about the credibility of online information on vitiligo and the need for reliable, detailed information, as well as a desire for support with managing its psychosocial impact.
conclusionsInformation and help-seeking needs of people with vitiligo currently appear to be poorly met, even among members of The Vitiligo Society, who are likely to have received more information than others. People with vitiligo would welcome greater health professional awareness of available vitiligo treatments. Acknowledging the psychosocial impacts of vitiligo and signposting towards credible information are also welcomed.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.