Translating the Burden of Pollen Allergy Into Numbers: 10-Year Observational Study of Electronically Generated Symptom Data From the Patient’s Hayfever Diary in Austria and Germany

Abstract

Background Pollen allergies affect a significant proportion of the population globally. At present, Web-based tools such as pollen diaries and mobile apps allow for easy and fast documentation of allergic symptoms via the internet. Objective This study aimed to characterize the users of the Patient’s Hayfever Diary (PHD), a Web-based platform and mobile app, to apply different symptom score calculations for comparison, and to evaluate the contribution of organs and medications to the total score for the first time. Methods The PHD users were filtered with regard to their location in Austria and Germany, significant positive correlation to the respective pollen type (birch/grass), and at least 15 entries in the respective season. Furthermore, 4 different symptom score calculation methods were applied to the datasets from 2009 until 2018, of which 2 were raw symptom scores and 2 were symptom load index (normalized) calculations. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated pairwise for these 4 symptom score calculations. Results Users were mostly male and belonged to the age groups of 21 to 40 years or ≥40 years. User numbers have increased in the last 5 years, especially when mobile apps were made available. The Pearson correlation coefficients showed a significant linear relationship above 0.9 among the 4 symptom score datasets and thus indicated no significant difference between the different methods of symptom score calculation. The nose contributed the most to the symptom score and determined about 40% of the score. Conclusions The exact method of calculation of the symptom score is not critical. All computation methods show the same behavior (increase/decrease during the season). Therefore, the symptom load index is a useful computation method in all fields exploring pollen allergy, and Web-based diaries are a globally applicable tool to monitor the effect of pollen on human health via electronically generated symptom data.

@IT2020: An innovative algorithm for allergen immunotherapy prescription in seasonal allergic rhinitis

“…However, electronic clinical diaries (eDiaries) are useful for real-time prospective symptom monitoring [12][13][14][15][16] and enable doctors to evaluate individual symptoms and the need for medication. With the help of software systems, clinical scores can be automatically generated, graphically matching patients´ combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) trajectories with those of the local allergen counts.…”

“…With the help of software systems, clinical scores can be automatically generated, graphically matching patients´ combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) trajectories with those of the local allergen counts. 16,17 Mobile Health (mHealth) technology is used also as part of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) assisting patients, clinicians and pharmacists at the point of care. [18][19][20][21][22] In preparation of a CDSS for the precise prescription of AIT, we developed @IT2020, a diagnostic algorithm based on CRD and eDiaries.…”

“…In contrast, a great variety of mobile phone applications—most of which not yet validated—has flooded the market, aiming at an improved disease control and quality of life for allergic patients. However, electronic clinical diaries (eDiaries) are useful for real‐time prospective symptom monitoring 12‐16 and enable doctors to evaluate individual symptoms and the need for medication. With the help of software systems, clinical scores can be automatically generated, graphically matching patients´ combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) trajectories with those of the local allergen counts 16,17 …”

Improved allergen immunotherapy prescription for seasonal allergic rhinitis: an innovative algorithm

“…In contrast, a great variety of mobile phone applications has flooded the market, aiming at an improved disease control and quality of life for allergic patients. Unfortunately, only a small number of applications has been clinically validated, but especially in the area of real-time symptom monitoring, the usefulness of mobile devices has been proven [12][13][14][15][16] . Though in the daily clinical practice still most of the patient s history is being assessed retrospectively, the electronic clinical diary (eDiary) enables the doctor to evaluate individual symptoms and the need for medication prospectively.…”

“…Though in the daily clinical practice still most of the patient s history is being assessed retrospectively, the electronic clinical diary (eDiary) enables the doctor to evaluate individual symptoms and the need for medication prospectively. With the help of software systems, clinical scores can be automatically generated, graphically matching patients SMS trajectories with those of the local pollen counts 16,17 .…”