Every year we are active participants in the most important gathering from the allergologists community, the annual European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress celebrated in Munich, Germany, 26-30 June 2018.
Our most important contribution to this Congress was the presentation of a new questionnaire for assessing the emotional impact of the disease that we have developed in EFA’s Quality of Life survey among severe atopic eczema patients.
Atopic eczema is a very common chronic inflammatory skin disease, which predominant symptom is itch. The disease is often underestimated but its signs and symptoms have a huge impact on patients’ life. Our survey shows that patients affected by severe atopic eczema are suffering more than what would be deemed acceptable.
At the European Allergy Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress, we explained how EFA developed a new questionnaire to assess emotional impact and coping skills (Atopic Eczema Score of Emotional Consequences – AESEC) based on previous experiences with Quality of Life studies and items identified by patients as having impact in their daily life. After having consulted specialists in psychology, research and language and having tested the reliability and inter-item correlation, we established a list of 28 questions.
When answering to AESEC, patients agree in most cases on envying people with normal skin and that itching drives crazy. Additionally, the desire to hide the eczema and sadness about having AE can also be noticed along their responses. Furthermore there are clear tendencies about feeling guilty when scratching, avoidance of physical contact, embarrassment regarding the appearance of their skin and being angered by the disease, especially among people who are in a moderate to severe condition.
These results were presented on Monday 28th at the EAACI Congress to an audience made of carers, researchers, paediatricians, allergologists and other specialists in the fields of allergy and immunology.
During EAACI Congress, we held a booth to exchange with professionals and inform on our projects. Thanks to all the visitors who came to our stand, it was great meeting you all!
Detailed results of our study will be made public during the next EADV Congress taking place in Paris in September.
Read our Atopic Eczema poster presented at EAACI here.
GAAPP Meeting
We also attended the Global Allergy and Asthma Patient Platform (GAAPP) scientific meeting with some of our members (AllergyUK, Austrian Lung Union, Spanish Association for People with Food and Latex Allergy Food Allergy Italy and the German League of Respiratory Diseases’ Patients). During the discussions, we learnt more about the distinction between severe allergic asthma and severe eosinophilic asthma. It is crucial to know it to be able to diagnose and treat the disease better. Distinction also opens the way to new research, such as the possible use of mathematical models to help treat and cure asthma. A campaign, Be the Boss of Your Asthma! is happening to help patients become their “asthma manager”.
Correlations between cow milk and allergies, atopic eczema and its link with food allergies were subjects we developed as well, especially looking at the European Atopic Eczema Awareness Day on the 14th September. We also talked about the role of allergen immunotherapy in asthma prevention and allergy and asthma correlations and discussed the evolution of another campaign called Define your Asthma, in which we are being active with GAAPP. A fruitful meeting indeed!
Check the” Be the Boss of your Asthma!” campaign here.