1
|
Chong AC, Diwakar L, Kaplan CM, Fox AT, Abrams EM, Greenhawt M, Oppenheimer JJ, Shaker MS. Provision of Food Allergy Care in the United Kingdom and United States: Current Issues and Future Directions. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2023; 11:2054-2066. [PMID: 36990429 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Food allergy (FA) is a growing issue worldwide. The United Kingdom and United States are high-income, industrialized countries with reported increases in FA prevalence over the past few decades. This review compares delivery of FA care in the United Kingdom and United States and each country's response to the heightened demand and disparities for FA services. In the United Kingdom, allergy specialists are scarce and general practitioners (GPs) provide most allergy care. Whereas the United States has more allergists per capita than the United Kingdom, there is still a shortage of allergy services owing to the greater reliance on specialist care for FA in America and wide geographic variation in access to allergist services. Currently, generalists in these countries lack the specialty training and equipment to diagnose and manage FA optimally. Moving forward, the United Kingdom aims to enhance training for GPs so they may provide better quality frontline allergy care. In addition, the United Kingdom is implementing a new tier of semi-specialized GPs and increasing cross-center collaboration through clinical networks. The United Kingdom and United States aim to increase the number of FA specialists, which is critical at a time of rapidly expanding management options for allergic and immunologic diseases requiring clinical expertise and shared decision-making to select appropriate therapies. While these countries aim to grow their supply of quality FA services actively, further efforts to build clinical networks and perhaps recruit international medical graduates and expand telehealth services are necessary to reduce disparities in access to care. For the United Kingdom in particular, increasing quality services will require additional support from the leadership of the centralized National Health Service, which remains challenging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert C Chong
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Lavanya Diwakar
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital of North Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom; Department of Health Economics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Cameron M Kaplan
- Gehr Center for Health Systems Science and Innovation, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Adam T Fox
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elissa M Abrams
- Section of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew Greenhawt
- Section of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - John J Oppenheimer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Allergy, UMDJ Rutgers University School of Medicine, Newark, NJ
| | - Marcus S Shaker
- Section of Allergy and Immunology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Department of Pediatrics, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH; Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Marshall GD. Challenges in allergy immunology practice: Solutions needed for persistent patient problems. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2019; 121:647-648. [PMID: 30502819 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gailen D Marshall
- Editor-in-Chief, Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Laboratory of Behavioral Immunology Research, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dietary Practices Adopted by Track-and-Field Athletes: Gluten-Free, Low FODMAP, Vegetarian, and Fasting. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2019; 29:236-245. [DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Some track-and-field athletes implement special diets aiming to improve health and/or performance. An evidence-based approach to any diet is recommended to minimize the risks associated with unnecessary dietary restriction, which may potentially do more harm than good. Four prevalent diets are reviewed in this study: (a) gluten-free; (b) low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP); (c) vegetarian; and (d) fasting diets. Recently, gluten-free diets and low FODMAP diets have emerged as novel regimes thought to improve gastrointestinal health and reduce the risk of exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms. No direct beneficial outcomes have been associated with avoiding gluten for clinically healthy athletes. Indirectly, a gluten-free diet is associated with other dietary changes, particularly FODMAP reduction, which may improve adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. Vegetarian diets can optimally support athletic demands. However, attention is required to ensure adequate energy and intake of specific nutrients that are less abundant or less well absorbed from plant sources. Finally, fasting is a long-standing concept that is undertaken on a voluntary and obligatory basis. Despite limited supporting research, voluntary fasting is a popular alternative to conventional diets perceptually offering health and body composition benefits. Strict obligatory fasting guidelines likely require the implementation of tailored nutrition strategies to help athletes cope with athletic demands. Overall, a multitude of factors influence adherence to special diets. Even when adherence to a special diet is a necessity, education and advice from an accredited dietitian/nutritionist are recommended for track-and-field athletes to optimize nutrition for health and performance.
Collapse
|