RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Parental experiences of eczema advice in online parenting forums: a qualitative interview study JF BJGP Open JO BJGP Open FD Royal College of General Practitioners SP BJGPO.2022.0155 DO 10.3399/BJGPO.2022.0155 A1 Bethan Mair Treadgold A1 Ingrid Muller A1 Emma Teasdale A1 Neil Coulson A1 Amanda Roberts A1 Miriam Santer YR 2023 UL http://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2023/05/16/BJGPO.2022.0155.abstract AB Background Parents of children with eczema are increasingly turning to online parenting forums for advice about how to manage it. Little is known about how parents make sense of advice about eczema treatments in online forums, and how it affects their management of childhood eczema.Aim To explore how parents of children with eczema make sense of and act on advice about eczema treatments exchanged in online parenting forums.Design & setting Qualitative interviews with parents of children with eczema from the UK.Method Fifteen parents were recruited through online advertisements and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were carried out face to face or by telephone, and analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis.Results When seeking advice from online parenting forums about eczema treatments, parents described appraising the credibility of advice and considering the potential suitability of treatments that were recommended in the forum. Parents proceeded to make sense of online advice through either reading advice and not engaging in online discussions, or actively engaging in online discussions to direct topics and seek most relevant advice. Parents discussed advice received online in subsequent consultations with their GP and requested prescriptions of recommended treatments. Some parents described trying new treatments without consulting their GP.Conclusion Understanding how parents appraise, make sense of, and act on online advice could support healthcare professionals to disseminate advice appropriately, ask additional questions, and signpost parents to reliable online resources.