Ilaria Baiardini

Quality of life and patients' satisfaction in chronic urticaria and respiratory allergy

Background:  Few articles are available about chronic urticaria (CU) impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). The aim of our study was to evaluate QoL in CU patients both focusing on health status and subjective satisfaction. We adopted two generic tools: SF‐36 (an health status questionnaire) and SAT‐P (a satisfaction profile).

Rhinasthma: a new specific QoL questionnaire for patients with rhinitis and asthma

Introduction: To date we have available specific instruments assessing health‐related quality of life (HRQL) in rhinoconjunctivitis or in asthma, but not instruments evaluating rhinitis and asthma together, although they often coexist. The aim of our study was to develop and validate a specific quality of life (QoL) questionnaire for adult patients with rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma or both.

The German version of the Chronic Urticaria Quality-of-Life Questionnaire: factor analysis, validation, and initial clinical findings.

Background:  Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common skin disorder that causes a substantial burden on patients’ quality‐of‐life (QoL). The aim of this work was to generate and validate a German version of the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU‐Q2oL) and to provide reference assessments of QoL.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Urticaria and Angioedema: A Worldwide Perspective

Urticaria and angioedema are common clinical conditions representing a major concern for physicians and patients alike. The World Allergy Organization (WAO), recognizing the importance of these diseases, has contributed to previous guidelines for the diagnosis and management of urticaria. The Scientific and Clinical Issues Council of WAO proposed the development of this global Position Paper to further enhance the clinical management of these disorders through the participation of renowned experts from all WAO regions of the world. Sections on definition and classification, prevalence, etiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis are based on the best scientific evidence presently available. Additional sections devoted to urticaria and angioedema in children and pregnant women, quality of life and patient-reported outcomes, and physical urticarias have been incorporated into this document. It is expected that this article will supplement recent international guidelines with the contribution of an expert panel designated by the WAO, increasing awareness of the importance of urticaria and angioedema in medical practice and will become a useful source of information for optimum patient management worldwide.

Recommendations for assessing Patient‐Reported Outcomes and Health‐Related quality of life in clinical trials on allergy: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper

To cite this article: Baiardini I, Bousquet PJ, Brzoza Z, Canonica GW, Compalati E, Fiocchi A, Fokkens W, van Wijk RG, La Grutta S, Lombardi C, Maurer M, Pinto AM, Ridolo E, Senna GE, Terreehorst I, Todo Bom A, Bousquet J, Zuberbier T, Braido F. Recommendations for assessing Patient‐Reported Outcomes and Health‐Related quality of life in clinical trials on allergy: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper. Allergy 2010; 65: 290–295.

Specific recommendations for PROs and HRQoL assessment in allergic rhinitis and/or asthma: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper

To cite this article: Braido F, Bousquet PJ, Brzoza Z, Canonica GW, Compalati E, Fiocchi A, Fokkens W, Gerth van Wijk R, La Grutta S, Lombardi C, Maurer M, Pinto AM, Ridolo E, Senna GE, Terreehorst I, Todo Bom A, Bousquet J, Zuberbier T, Baiardini I. Specific recommendations for PROs and HRQoL assessment in allergic rhinitis and/or asthma: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper. Allergy 2010; 65: 959–968.

ARIA-suggested drugs for allergic rhinitis: what impact on quality of life? A GA2LEN Review

Allergic diseases constitute a global health problem, as they have an increasing economic and social impact and, especially, they can deeply interfere with the patients’ daily life, being a cause of physical and emotional discomfort. This is why the health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQoL) has become increasingly important in health care research; in fact, the assessment of the impact the disease and its treatment have on patients, provides a more comprehensive approach in outcome evaluation. Numerous validated questionnaires are available and many studies have been performed evaluating HRQoL in people affected by allergic rhinitis (AR), thus testifying a great interest in this topic. The aims of the present review are: to examine the scientific literature of the last 3 years dealing with the impact of AR treatments suggested by allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma guidelines on patients’ QoL, and to identify the unexplored or not‐fully‐investigated areas concerning this issue.

AQUA: Allergy Questionnaire for Athletes. Development and Validation

PURPOSE Despite the high and increasing prevalence of allergic diseases in athletes, allergy diagnostics is not part of the routine medical examination in sports medicine. This study reports the development and validation of an easy and reliable questionnaire for screening allergy in athletes. METHODS AQUA was derived from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey Questionnaire. On the basis of open interviews with team doctors, coaches, and athletes, questions were added about: the type, duration, and intensity of training; exercise-related allergic and infectious symptoms; social habits (smoking); drug and food supplements intake; antidoping regulations. The final version of the questionnaire, made of 25 selected questions, was validated in 128 professional soccer players who underwent accurate history taking, medical examination, skin prick testing, and/or specific IgE determination. On the basis of the correlation with objective allergy (positive skin tests to at least one allergen), questions were scored from 1 to 5 according to their positive likelihood ratio. RESULTS Skin tests (gold standard for validation) were positive in 46.8% of soccer players. Mean total AQUA score was 9.4 +/- 7.8 in allergic athletes versus 1.3 +/- 2.3 in nonallergic athletes. A total AQUA score of >or=5 was shown to have the best positive predictive value for allergy (0.94) with a specificity of 97.1% and a sensitivity of 58.3%. CONCLUSIONS AQUA, produced in 10 European languages, is a validated, easy, and reliable tool for calling attention on the high prevalence of allergy in athletes.

A new tool to assess and monitor the burden of chronic cough on quality of life: Chronic Cough Impact Questionnaire.

Introduction:  Chronic cough, one of the most frequent causes for a patient to consult a medical practitioner, limits the course of normal activities in everyday life of the patient affected (work, physical activities, social relations, night sleep). By now, there are few validated questionnaires for the evaluation of the impact of this symptom in the patients quality of life (QoL). For this reason, we created a new questionnaire for the assessment of QoL in patients affected by chronic cough (Chronic Cough Impact Questionnaire, CCIQ).

Recommendations for assessing patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in patients with urticaria: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper

To cite this article: Baiardini I, Braido F, Bindslev‐Jensen C, Bousquet PJ, Brzoza Z, Canonica GW, Compalati E, Fiocchi A, Fokkens W, Gerth van Wijk R, Giménez‐Arnau A, Godse K, Grattan C, Grob JJ, La Grutta S, Kalogeromitros D, Kocatürk E, Lombardi C, Mota‐Pinto A, Ridolo E, Saini SS, Sanchez‐Borges M, Senna GE, Terreehorst I, Todo Bom A, Toubi E, Bousquet J, Zuberbier T, Maurer M. Recommendations for assessing patient‐reported outcomes and health‐related quality of life in patients with urticaria: a GA2LEN taskforce position paper. Allergy 2011; 66: 840–844.