Home phototherapy: report on a workshop of the British Photodermatology Group, December 1996

Phototherapy is a popular and effective treatment for many patients with sk in diseases, However, repeated journeys to hospital for phototherapy can be inconvenient and expensive, If it were available, many patients might pref er home-based phototherapy as long as it was safe and effective, Indeed, ma ny psoriasis patients already self-treat with ultraviolet A sunbeds at home . This report represents a consensus view from a British Photodermatology G roup workshop held in December 1996, the purpose of which was to examine th e potential role of home-based phototherapy in dermatological practice. We conclude that home-based therapy represents a suboptimal treatment with gre ater attendant risks than phototherapy in a hospital environment. The level of medical supervision of the home treatment is crucial to its safety and effectiveness. Until further studies are forthcoming, home phototherapy sho uld be largely restricted to those with overwhelming difficulties in attend ing hospital.