Co-producing a randomized controlled trial on the frequency of bathing in eczema: description of a citizen science approach.

Background: Eczema is a prevalent, chronic, itchy skin condition that often persists into adulthood and significantly affects the quality of life of patients and their families. With no cure available at present, effective management is crucial. Although important patient priorities related to eczema self-management have been identified, they are rarely the focus of large, high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Objectives: To outline the methodology of using a citizen science approach to co-produce an online RCT on the frequency of bathing, to support the self-management of eczema. Methods: The co-production of the trial with patients living with eczema involved research prioritization, intervention development and trial design, all carried out through a series of online meetings and surveys. Results: Co-producing the trial took 9 months, consisting of 13 online meetings (5 to prioritize the topic, 4 to develop the intervention and 4 to design the trial), requiring 39 h of time commitment from members of the public ( Conclusions: This paper provides a useful model for co-producing RCTs with members of the public. It describes the key stages of trial development (prioritization, intervention development, trial design) and contains information on the time and resources required to design trials using this approach.