Atopic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing condition that can have considerable effects on the lives of sufferers. It is apparent that good, valid measures of life quality are necessary for quantifying the patients' perspective of the severity of their disease and the Dermatology Life Quality Index is often employed in clinical research. In a community study of atopic dermatitis we have assessed disability using the Dermatology Life Quality Index and the Patient Generated Index and compared the results from both indices. The results were significantly correlated and reflected the range of disability in patients in the community. Some items of the Dermatology Life Quality Index were not relevant for atopic dermatitis patients in the community and others, including swimming and sleep loss, were often cited in the Patient Generated Index but are not included in the Dermatology Life Quality Index. The Patient Generated Index is a novel, flexible approach to quality of life measurement that may be suitable for reflecting the wide variety of disability that is experienced by dermatological patients.