OBJECTIVES Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disease frequent in childhood. The treatment is based on regular moisturizing of the skin, information to the parents on the chronic course with recurrent flares, topical anti-infectious therapy for superinfections and colonization of the skin by staphylococcus aureus, and topical steroids. The immuno-modulatory macrolides (tacrolimus and pimecrolimus) represent a new alternative to topical steroids. To establish the importance of different characteristics of treatment we would apply a conjoint analysis exercise. Conjoint analysis is a technique to elicit preferences toward atopic dermatitis treatment and can help planning optimal health care and guiding therapeutic decisions. The aim of this pilot study is to establishing which characteristics patients and caregivers consider important in atopic dermatitis treatment to design conjoint analysis scenarious. METHODS A focus group identified eight treatment characteristics: Long term adverse events, short term local adverse events, time to response, length of response after treatment, distribution mode, pharmaceutical dosage form, route of administration, frequency of applications. Caregiver (all parents) gave their opinion rating each characteristic from 0 (not important) to 100 (very important), moreover they could suggest other characteristics. RESULTS. Twenty parents of children with mild or severe atopic dermatitis were enrolled. The most important characteristic considered was: “length of response after suspension treatment” (mean=90), followed by “long term adverse events” (mean=85), “short term local adverse events” (mean=82), “distribution mode” (mean=75), “time to response” (mean=67). None suggested other characteristics. In order to evaluate willingness to pay we will add ‘out of pocket' costs. CONCLUSIONS. This pilot study allowed us to identify aspects considered important by parents for their children treatment. These results will help us to design a Conjoint Analysis aimed at evaluating utilities and monetary value of these aspects.