Prevention of perennial allergic rhinitis in the conception of coordinated healthcare in Poland

INTRODUCTION: The primary prevention is intended to prevent the development of diseases, secondary prevention aims to limit disease progression, and tertiary prevention involves reducing disease-associated symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of selected forms of secondary prevention by patients diagnosed with perennial allergic rhinitis. Moreover, this paper presents the ways in which the adopted organizational solutions could be utilized as part of coordinated healthcare to benefit patients with perennial allergies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population comprised 18,617 respondents, 4783 of whom (including patients allergic to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae) were qualified to undergo a medical examination. The study used ECRHS and ISAAC questionnaires adapted for Europe. RESULTS: Nearly 20% of patients diagnosed with chronic allergic rhinitis used preventive measures against house dust mites; this is in contrast with 13% in the control group (p = 1.358e-07). The secondary preventive measures most commonly used in the study group were, in descending order of frequency, mattress protectors and anti-dust-mite spray. Undertaking preventive measures was most common among study participants with higher education and residents of large cities. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients diagnosed with a dust-mite allergy, who undertook preventive measures against perennial allergic rhinitis, was relatively low. Building, maintaining, and continual strengthening the doctors’ relationship with chronic allergy patients may shift the nature of healthcare services more towards preventive measures, for the implementation of which the patient will be co-responsible under the coordinated healthcare system.