POEM — Patient Oriented Eczema Measure
The Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) is a tool used for monitoring atopic eczema severity. It focuses on the illness as experienced by the patient. POEM is recommended by:
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and within other clinical guidelines
- Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) as a core outcome instrument for measuring patient-reported symptoms in eczema trials.
Commercial Use
POEM requires a per-patient fee when used for commercial purposes.
Please complete the Commercial Use Form to report your use and initiate payment.
Non-Commercial Use
POEM is free for non-commercial applications, such as government or charity-funded research studies and personal use.
Please complete the Non-Commercial Use Form to inform us of your use.
Original (UK English)
This version is suitable for patients who are able to read and understand the questions. This will include both adults and older children.
This version is for caregivers to fill out on their child's behalf. There are no specific age cut-offs for using this version.
This version is suitable for both self completion and for caregivers to fill our on their child's behalf.
Visit My Eczema Tracker for details on the app version of POEM.
Translations
These Approved Translated Versions of the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure ("POEM") are available for free in PDF format for non-commercial use. The same Approved Translated Versions can be accessed for Commercial Use when licensees place an order for the English language version via the MICRA platform (click ‘Commercial Use Form’ above) and are governed by the POEM Terms and Conditions and available for use strictly in accordance with the terms therein.
The methodology and certification for the translations available in the table below can be viewed here.
The University of Nottingham would like to express its gratitude to all those who generously provided translations of the POEM questionnaire back to the University for its further use. We have taken the step to standardise these translations and to cover additional languages to streamline the licencing process and in pursuance of useability of the POEM questionnaire throughout the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the copyright of POEM? © University of Nottingham, 2025. All Rights Reserved.
What permissions do I need to use POEM in my clinic/observational study/clinical trial? Commercial users must pay a per patient fee to use POEM – please visit MICRA Gateway for more information about licensing. Non-commercial users should complete the non-commercial use request form.
Can I alter the wording or presentation of POEM?Alterations to the layout/presentation (e.g. addition of trial logos) is permitted, however we do not advise making any changes to the wording of the POEM scale as this is likely to change its validity.
Do I need a license to reproduce POEM within another publication, such as a text book? Yes as long as the wording remains unchanged and the copyright notice is intact. Please complete the non-commercial use form above.
Can I create an electronic / online version of POEM? Yes. Electronic versions are permitted, but: Avoid making any questions mandatory, to keep the format comparable to the paper version and maintain the scale’s psychometric properties. Use the exact wording from the validated POEM. The only acceptable edits are minor instruction changes (e.g., “please select” → “please tap” or “select”)
Is this translation of POEM suitable for a different population? / Is the English version suitable for all English speaking countries? We cannot comment on the suitability of a translation for a particular population. Eventually we hope to run some cross-cultural validation studies as part of the HOME initiative.
What happens when there are missing data and unclear responses? The POEM scale is usually very well completed, however, occasionally patients may fail to complete all seven questions. If missing items occur the following rules should be followed: If one question is left unanswered this is scored 0 and the scores are summed and expressed as usual out of a maximum of 28 If more than one question is left unanswered the questionnaire is not scored If two or more response options are selected for a single question, the response option with the highest score should be recorded
How is scoring done? Each of the seven questions carries equal weight and the responses are scored from 0 to 4 as detailed below: 0 = no days 1 = 1-2 days 2 = 3-4 days 3 = 5-6 days 4 = Every day
What does a POEM score mean? To help patients and clinicians to understand their POEM scores, the following bandings have been established (see reference section below): Clear or almost clear = 0 to 2; Mild eczema = 3 to 7; Moderate eczema = 8 to 16; Severe eczema = 17 to 24; Very severe = 25 to 28
Original publications
The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure: development and initial validation of a new tool for measuring atopic eczema severity from the patients' perspective. Charman C, Venn A, Williams HC. Arch Dermatol. 2004;140:1513-1519
Translating Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) scores into clinical practice by suggesting severity strata derived using anchor-based methods. Charman CR, Venn AJ, Ravenscroft JC, Williams HC. Br J Dermatol. 2013; 169(6): 1326–1332.
Status as a Core Outcome instrument
POEM a core instrument to measure symptoms in clinical trials: a HOME statement.Spuls PI, Gerbens LA, Simpson E, Apfelbacher CJ, Chalmers JR, Thomas KS, Prinsen CA, von Kobyletzki LB, Singh JA, Williams HC, Schmitt J; HOME initiative collaborators .Br J Dermatol. 2016.
Standardized Reporting of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM): A Recommendation by the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) Initiative.
E. Grinich, J. Schmitt, D. Küster, P.I. Spuls, H.C. Williams, J.R. Chalmers, K.S. Thomas, C. Apfelbacher, C.A.C. Prinsen, M. Furue, B. Stuart, B. Carter and E. Simpson. Br J Dermatol. 2018 May 10. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16732.
Minimally important change
The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure in young children: responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference. Gaunt DM, Metcalfe C, Ridd M. Allergy 2016
EASI, (objective) SCORAD and POEM for atopic eczema: responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference. Schram ME, Spuls PI, Leeflang MM, Lindeboom R, Bos JD, Schmitt J. Allergy 2012 Jan; 67(1):99-106.
How should minimally important change (MIC) scores for the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) be interpreted? A validation using varied methods.Howells L, Ratib S, Chalmers JR, Bradshaw L, Thomas KS; CLOTHES trial team. Br J Dermatol. 2018.
Other relevant studies
Do patient characteristics matter when calculating sample size for eczema clinical trials? L. Howells, S. Gran, J. R. Chalmers, B. Stuart, M. Santer, L. Bradshaw, D. M. Gaunt, M. J. Ridd, L. A. A. Gerbens, P. I. Spuls, C. Huang, N. A. Francis, K. S. Thomas. Skin Health and Dis. 2021;e42.
© The University of Nottingham. The Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) scale is free to use for non-commercial use only.
Commercial use incurs a per patient fee. Permission is granted to reproduce and/or redistribute this material in its entirety without modification. Any use which falls outside this remit requires the express consent of the copyright owner.