D1.134 - Mapping the Patient’s Journey Prior to Allergen Immunotherapy

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a well-established treatment for allergic diseases, yet the journey patients take before consulting an allergist and starting AIT is not well understood. This study aimed to describe the path allergic patients follow prior to initiating AIT at a specialized Immunotherapy Unit in a Tertiary Hospital in the Canary Islands, Spain.

A single-center, retrospective observational study was conducted by analyzing electronic medical records of pediatric and adult patients who started AIT for the first time between January and March 2024. Data collected included demographic characteristics, referring specialist, reason for consultation, time from prescription to AIT administration, and the composition and regimen of AIT prescribed. Additionally, we assessed referring specialists’ knowledge of AIT and whether the terms “immunotherapy” or “vaccine” were mentioned during the initial consultation.

A total of 164 patients (83 males, 81 females) with a mean age of 22.3 years were included. Initial consultations were electronic, with primary care physicians handling 85 cases (51.8%), pediatricians 57 cases (34.8%), and otolaryngologists 20 cases (12.2%). All e-consultations were answered by an allergist within 24-72 hours and followed by in-person consultations. The most common conditions referred were rhino-conjunctivitis (85.4%), asthma (23.2%), and food allergies (7.3%). In 23.6% of consultations, the terms "immunotherapy" or "vaccine" were mentioned. The most prescribed AIT was house dust mites (HDM) for 141 patients (85.9%), followed by HDM and cat/dog dander for 11 patients (6.7%) and HDM and pollens for 5 patients (3.0%). The mean time from prescription to AIT administration was 9.8 weeks. Of the 164 patients, 77.4% completed a cluster SCIT schedule, while 22.6% followed a native SCIT regimen.

Our findings emphasize the need for closer collaboration between referring specialists and allergists. Improved knowledge of AIT among referring physicians can optimize the healthcare ecosystem, ensuring earlier and more effective access to personalized therapy.