SynthesisBMJ open2021
Views and experiences of people with acne vulgaris and healthcare professionals about treatments: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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
20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review of vascular lasers for the treatment of inflammatory active acne vulgaris.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review and network meta-analysis of topical pharmacological, oral pharmacological, physical and combined treatments for acne vulgaris.The British journal of dermatology · 2022Pooled it
- Clinical and cost-effectiveness of spironolactone in treating persistent facial acne in women: SAFA double-blinded RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2024Trial
- Treatment adherence in acne vulgaris: systematic review and narrative synthesis.Skin health and disease · 2026Review
- Planning and optimizing a digital self-management support intervention: Acne Care Online.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- PRACT-India: Practical Recommendations on Acne Care and Medical Treatment in India-A Modified Delphi Consensus.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Educational, labour market and relationship outcomes in people with acne.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 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
- Needle Radiofrequency Combined with Topical Exosome Therapy for Moderate to Severe Acne.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Managing acne vulgaris: an update.Drug and therapeutics bulletin · 2023Review
- The Personalized Acne Treatment Tool - Recommendations to facilitate a patient-centered approach to acne management from the Personalizing Acne: Consensus of Experts.JAAD international · 2023Article
- Photopneumatic Technology for the Treatment of Mild-to-moderate Acne Vulgaris-Expert Perspectives.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2023Article
- Current Utilization of Qualitative Methodologies in Dermatology: A Scoping Review.JID innovations : skin science from molecules to population health · 2023Article
- The management of acne vulgaris in young people in primary care: A retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- Produits d'association topiques contre l'acné faciale.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2022Article
- Managing Dermatologic Effects of Gender-Affirming Therapy in Transgender Adolescents.Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics · 2022Review
- The Personalised Acne Care Pathway-Recommendations to guide longitudinal management from the Personalising Acne: Consensus of Experts.JAAD international · 2021Article
- Supporting Self-management Among Young People With Acne Vulgaris Through a Web-Based Behavioral Intervention: Development and Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR dermatology · 2021Article
- Comparison of fractionated frequency-doubled 1,064/532 nm picosecond Nd:YAG lasers and non-ablative fractional 1,540 nm Er: glass in the treatment of facial atrophic scars: a randomized, split-face, double-blind trial.Annals of translational medicine · 2021Article
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 at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe objective of this study was to systematically review and synthesise qualitative papers exploring views and experiences of acne and its treatments among people with acne, their carers and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
designSystematic review and synthesis of qualitative papers.
methodsPapers were identified through Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, PsychINFO and CINAHL on 05 November 2019, forward and backward citation searching, Google Scholar and contacting authors. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting qualitative data and analysis, studies carried out among people with acne, their carers or HCPs and studies comprising different skin conditions, including acne. The title and abstracts of papers were independently screened by three researchers. Appraisal was carried out using the adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Thematic synthesis was used to synthesise findings.
resultsA total of 20 papers were included from six countries. Papers explored; experiences living with acne, psychosocial impact of acne, views on causation of acne, perceptions of acne treatments, ambivalence and ambiguity in young people's experience of acne and HCPs' attitudes towards acne management. Findings suggest that people often viewed acne as short-term and that this had implications for acne management, particularly long-term treatment adherence. People often felt that the substantial impact of acne was not recognised by others, or that their condition was 'trivialised' by HCPs. The sense of a lack of control over acne and control over treatment was linked to both psychological impact and treatment adherence. Concerns and uncertainty over acne treatments were influenced by variable advice and information from others.
conclusionsPeople need support with understanding the long-term management of acne, building control over acne and its treatments, acknowledging the impact and appropriate information to reduce the barriers to effective treatment use. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016050525.
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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.