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. 2022 Jul 18:3:933816.
doi: 10.3389/falgy.2022.933816. eCollection 2022.

The specialty of allergy and clinical immunology in Brazil

Luane Marques de Mello  1   2 , Faradiba Sarquis Serpa  2   3 , Joseane Chiabai  4   5 , Fátima Rodrigues Fernandes  2   6   7 , Herberto José Chong-Neto  2   8 , Emanuel Sávio Cavalcanti Sarinho  2   9 , Norma de Paula Motta Rubini  2   10 , Dirceu Solé  2   11
Affiliations

The specialty of allergy and clinical immunology in Brazil

Luane Marques de Mello et al. Front Allergy. .

Abstract

Objective: To 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.

Methods: This 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.

Results: Four 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.

Conclusion: Brazilian 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.

Keywords: allergy and immunology; health policies; integral health care; professional profile; telemedicine.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of participants, according to the state of residence. AC, Acre; AL, Alagoas; AM, Amazonas; BA, Bahia; CE, Ceará; DF, Distrito Federal; ES, Espírito Santo; GO, Goiás; MA, Maranhão; MG, Minas Gerais; MS, Mato Grosso do Sul; MT, Mato Grosso; PA, Pará; PB, Paraíba; PR, ‘Paraná; PE, Pernambuco; PI, Piauí; RJ, Rio de Janeiro; RN, Rio Grande do Norte; RS, Rio Grande do Sul; SC, Santa Catarina; SP, São Paulo; SE, Sergipe; TO, Tocantins.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of participants (n = 460) according to the reduction in consultations in a private office and the option for telemedicine care.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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