Effect of allergist intervention on patient-centered and societal outcomes: Allergists as leaders, innovators, and educators

Atopic disorders, which afflict millions of Americans and hundreds of milli ons worldwide, are at epidemic levels with concomitant increases in morbidi ty and mortality, Environmental and lifestyle changes over the past three t o five decades are proposed causes for this pandemic and as such present ma jor burdens to reverse, The scope of allergy practice bridges directly on t his challenge. Allergy as a specialty is a major leader in developing effec tive strategies to confront this epidemic, Allergists have made major contr ibutions to the understanding of the risk factors, immunology, pathophysiol ogy, immunomodulation, and prevention of atopic and immunologic disorders, Allergist epidemiologists and clinicians have helped develop and implement national and international guidelines in the recognition, management, and p revention of asthma and rhinitis, Allergist clinical researchers are active in (1) outcomes research that demonstrates convincingly the value of aller gy as a specialty in asthma, allergic rhinitis, anaphylaxis, drug and food allergy, and other atopic disorders, (2) National Institutes of Health clin ical trials that will form the basis for the future treatment of asthma and allergic disease, and (3) pharmaceutical trials that evaluate new, effecti ve, and safe medication to treat atopic disease, Allergist educators, compr ising academic and practicing allergists, supported by allied health profes sionals, national associations, and affiliated lay organizations, provide c omprehensive education to fellows, residents, colleague physicians, media, the public, and patients, Documentation of the value of allergists in impro ving patient-centered and societal outcomes in their core domain, allergy, is the appropriate final topic contribution in the important series "New mi llennium: The conquest of allergy.".