Frontiers in Allergy (Jul 2022)

The specialty of allergy and clinical immunology in Brazil

  • Luane Marques de Mello,
  • Luane Marques de Mello,
  • Faradiba Sarquis Serpa,
  • Faradiba Sarquis Serpa,
  • Joseane Chiabai,
  • Joseane Chiabai,
  • Fátima Rodrigues Fernandes,
  • Fátima Rodrigues Fernandes,
  • Fátima Rodrigues Fernandes,
  • Herberto José Chong-Neto,
  • Herberto José Chong-Neto,
  • Emanuel Sávio Cavalcanti Sarinho,
  • Emanuel Sávio Cavalcanti Sarinho,
  • Norma de Paula Motta Rubini,
  • Norma de Paula Motta Rubini,
  • Dirceu Solé,
  • Dirceu Solé

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/falgy.2022.933816
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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ObjectiveTo assess the profile of allergist/immunologist (A/I) physicians in Brazil, the workplace, the access to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on professional practice.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted as an online survey. All adhering members of the Brazilian Association of Allergy and Immunology (ASBAI) received a Google Forms tool by email. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic and professional aspects of the Brazilian allergists/immunologists (A/I) daily routine. The information was analyzed by SPSS version 20.0.ResultsFour hundred and sixty members answered the questionnaire. Women were predominant among the responders (336; 73%), and the median age was 47 years (range, 27–82 years). Most participants worked in the private sector (437, 95%), whereas 256 (47%) worked in the public sector. Among the public sector employees, 210 (82%) reported having access to some diagnostic test for allergic diseases and inborn errors of immunity. Only 91 (35%) A/I physicians in the public system had access to allergen-specific immunotherapy, compared to 416 (95, 9%) of those in the private sector. Regarding biological drugs, 135 (52.7%) and 314 (71.9%) of the A/I physicians working in the public and private sector, respectively, reported access. Two hundred and eighty-three (61.6%) had at least a 50% reduction in the number of consultations, and 245 (56%) provided telemedicine care during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionBrazilian A/I have incorporated the most recent advances in managing immunoallergic diseases into their clinical practice, but they still have little access to various diagnostic methods. Strategies to enable the presence of A/I in public health services should be discussed and implemented. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the incorporation of telemedicine as a viable and promising method of medical care and can expand access to the specialty.

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