Reshaping the Management of Allergic Rhinitis in Primary Care: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Baharudin Abdullah (), Kornkiat Snidvongs, Niken Lestari Poerbonegoro and Budi Sutikno
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Baharudin Abdullah: Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Kornkiat Snidvongs: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Niken Lestari Poerbonegoro: Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya No. 6, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
Budi Sutikno: Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Mayjen. Prof. Dr. Moestopo No. 6-8, Surabaya 60286, Indonesia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges to the delivery of healthcare for patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) following its disruption and impact on the healthcare system with profound implications. Reliance on self-care for AR symptom management was substantial during the pandemic with many patients encouraged to only seek in-person medical care when necessary. The advantage of digital technology becomes apparent when patients and healthcare providers had to change and adapt their method of interaction from the regular physical face-to-face consultation to telehealth and mobile health in the provision of care. Despite the pandemic and the ever-evolving post pandemic situation, optimal management of AR remains paramount for both patients and healthcare professionals. A reshaping of the delivery of care is essential to accomplish this goal. In this paper, we present what we have learned about AR management during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of digital technology in revolutionizing AR healthcare, screening assessment in the identification and differentiation of common upper respiratory conditions, and a framework to facilitate the management of AR in primary care.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis; COVID-19; health literacy; primary care; self-care; telehealth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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