How can I prepare for home phototherapy supervision?
Prepare questions about the written plan, follow-up, photographs, reactions, records and separate device support.
Last updated
What belongs in the written plan?
Before home use, know which instructions are clinical, which are device-specific, and who owns each question. Keep the current prescribed plan and exact-device manual available. Evidence Evidence
What the sources support
Home programs still depend on prescribing, training, follow-up and clear support routes.
What remains individual or uncertain
This page cannot translate a plan between devices or fill in missing instructions.
Questions for your care team
- Which written instructions control my home routine? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- Who answers clinical questions? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- Who answers device questions? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
How will follow-up and photo review work?
Ask how the team wants updates and whether it wants photographs. Share photographs only through the agreed route and use them as information for the team, not as a reason to change the plan yourself. Evidence Evidence
What the sources support
A supervised home program needs a defined way to review progress, adherence and concerns.
What remains individual or uncertain
A photograph cannot replace clinical assessment or support self-adjustment.
Questions for your care team
- How should I send updates? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- Do you want photographs, and through which private route? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- What should I never change without contacting you? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
What should happen when something is wrong?
Know when the written plan says to stop and contact the clinical team. Keep a separate manufacturer route for faults, damage, error messages or support with the exact device. Evidence Evidence Evidence
What the sources support
Clinical reactions and device problems have different owners, and records can make a handoff clearer.
What remains individual or uncertain
A manufacturer can explain its equipment but cannot replace the prescriber or authorize a clinical change.
Questions for your care team
- Which concerns mean I should stop and contact you? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- Where do I report a device problem? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
- What records should I bring to follow-up? Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.
Evidence behind this page
Sources
Each evidence badge opens the source and its limits. The full list stays available here.
- British Journal of Dermatology (Goulden V, et al.)Guideline · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
It supports that traditional NB-UVB fluorescent lamps emit a narrow UVB band peaking around 311 nanometres. It backs wearing UV-protective goggles and keeping UV scatter off people nearby. It records the consent form naming goggles and the same clothing at each session. It also covers clinical uses, how it compares with other light treatments, safety limits including sunburn-type reactions, and the added safeguards home phototherapy needs.
What it does not support
It does not provide a personal treatment plan, approve a particular home setup, or replace the instructions for your own device. SteadySkin never reproduces its treatment schedules.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- Phothera PhototherapyManufacturer document · Manufacturer, tier 4Independence not established
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports the current first-party route to Phothera device and accessory manuals and shows that instructions are model- and controller-specific.
What it does not support
It does not establish clinical suitability, comparative benefit, the condition of an individual unit, or that one manual applies to a related or legacy model; each exact linked manual and revision still requires verification.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- British Journal of Dermatology (Eleftheriadou V, et al.)Guideline · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports the clinical history and assessment domains, evaluation of associated autoimmune conditions, its recommendation for thyroid function and antithyroid antibody screening, current classification context, treatment-option map, psychosocial assessment, medical photography and the limits of pediatric evidence. Its classification table defines mucosal vitiligo as the oral or genital mucosae. One mucosal site alone is filed as undetermined or unclassified. Its differential diagnosis table lists genital or extragenital lichen sclerosus among the conditions that can be mistaken for vitiligo. That table also lists eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, pityriasis alba and piebaldism. It calls autoimmunity a contributor to the pathogenesis of vitiligo. It reports an earlier review finding a possible negative impact on intimacy and sexual functioning. It tells clinicians to discuss the psychosocial impact of living with the condition.
What it does not support
It was designed for UK care and reviewed literature through May 2019; it does not establish a universal testing plan, prescribe an individual plan, or establish current US labeling or coverage. Its differential diagnosis table is a list, not a method a reader can apply to their own skin. It does not say how to tell any two of those conditions apart. It gives no figure for how often vitiligo affects genital skin.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationRegulatory · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports that patients, consumers, and health professionals can use FDA MedWatch to report serious reactions, product-quality problems, product-use errors, and other serious problems involving human medical products, including medical devices.
What it does not support
It does not determine whether a report is required, prove causation, replace clinical care, or replace the manufacturer’s equipment-support route.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.