Allergy
-
Quality management is increasingly important in clinical practice. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA(2)LEN) is a network of clinical and scientific excellence with originally 25 allergy centres in 16 European countries, a scientific society (European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology), and a patient organization (European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations). Although some allergy centres adhere to internal quality criteria, the implementation of a standardized quality management system for allergy centres across Europe was lacking. ⋯ The establishment of a quality management system with joint standards of care and harmonized procedures can be achieved in an international health network and ensures quality of care.
-
The common cold and allergic rhinitis constitute a global health problem that affects social life, sleep, school and work performance and is likely to impose a substantial economic burden on society because of absence from work and reduced working capacity. This study assesses the loss of productivity as a result of both allergic rhinitis and the common cold in the Swedish working population. ⋯ In Sweden, the cost of rhinitis is euro 2.7 billion a year in terms of lost productivity. A reduction in lost productivity of 1 day per individual and year would potentially save euro 528 million.