D2.527 - Lessening the food allergy burden through education: A Canadian focus

In a commitment to lessen the burden of food allergy and empower more allied health care professionals to support families through evidence-based care, the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) developed a Foundational Course in Food Allergy Education. Herein, we aimed to summarise the learning achieved through this course.

Since Fall 2023, we have thus far delivered four iterations of the 8-week synchronous course. Lectures are delivered by internationally-recognised faculty, with content ranging across four domains: dietary management, cross-contamination, and cross-reactivity; concerns in infancy; diagnostics and oral immunotherapy; and day-to-day management. One week after completing the course, learners completed a time-restricted, single-best answer multiple-choice exam with 40 questions. A minimum score of 75% was considered a passing grade. Data were analysed descriptively with comparisons made using an ANOVA (Stata Version 17.0, College Station, TX). As an educational course, the University of Manitoba Research Ethics Board deemed research ethics board approval unnecessary subsequent to review of the course proposal and overview (HS25785 (H2022:389)).

To date, 34 learners have taken the course, of whom 31 passed. The corresponding post-test scores were 84.5% (range 65.0%-97.5%). Within each domain, the number of correct responses per question often reached the minimum score of 75%. While the number of correct responses for the collective questions within each domain consistently also reached the minimum score, examination of individual questions highlighted areas in which further education was needed.  Within the domain “dietary management, cross-contamination and cross-reactivity” only two-thirds of learners correctly answered questions about diet diversity (22/34; 64.7%) and precautionary allergen labelling (21/34; 61.7%). Within the domain, day-to-day management, only one-quarter were able to appropriately identify the pattern of food allergy prevalence (8/34; 23.5%).

Through four iterations to date of the CSACI Foundational Course, learners tend to demonstrate mastery of content, albeit with notable deficiencies in particular topics.  Continued learning is critical to contribute towards a future free from food allergy burden and misinformation.