Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is an underappreciated disease considered to be trivial. The small group of patients are taking medications for AR are usually seen by specialists. AR is under-diagnosed and under-treated with frequent non-adherence to treatment. There are a gap and unmet needs regarding the management of AR at global level. ISMAR was designed as the first-ever global, quantitative survey to ask to patients and physicians the same questions to identify differences in attitudes and opinions about the treatment of AR at global level with the goal of identifying barriers to optimal management and revealing limitations of currently available treatments.
Methods:
An international, multicenter, non–interventional, cross-sectional study was conducted in adults or children (≥ 6 years). Physicians were selected at random from a master list provided by country and combining private and public practices. ISMAR was designed according to the most accepted epidemiological recommendations based on the successful experience of the WAO-GAPP survey on asthma.
A questionnaire addressing patient profiles, diagnostic assessment, therapeutic decisions, and real-life management was answered. The questionnaire also asked about national/local features, medications availability/cost, laboratory test facilities, traditions, geographical constraints, among others.
The participating physicians recruited consecutive patients with AR. Study data collection was performed during a single visit with 3 types of documents: Investigator’s questionnaire, Case Record Form, Patient’s questionnaire.
Results:
Two-hundred and thirty four physicians were surveyed with a mean age of 49 years (28-69), 180 of them were males (76.9%). The type of medical practice was public sector 16.7%, private practice 41.9% and mixed 41.4%. Regarding medical specialty is a follows: GPs/family practitioners/internists (22.2%), allergologists/pulmonologists (35.9%), pediatricians (11.1%) and ENT specialist (30.3%).
Physicians recruited 2776 patients with AR (Egypt, n=500; Mexico, n=418; Brazil, n=351; Colombia, n=223; Guatemala, n=216; Iran, n=207; Venezuela, n=201; Argentina, n=200; Israel, n=176; Kuwait, n=150; UAE, n=134).
Conclusions:
ISMAR has made possible the participation of physicians from eleven countries in different regions of the world that see AR patients. The doctors surveyed and the patients they recruited will give us the opportunity to gain insight about different aspects of the management of AR at global level.