Footnotes1

In Person 

This month's interview is with Thanai Pongdee, MD, FAAAAI, Medical Editor for www.aaaai.org. This fall, a Web Oversight Workgroup will initiate an RFP process to build a new AAAAI Web site. Pongdee talks about his role and the future for healthcare Internet use.

You've been Medical Editor for almost a year. What has surprised you the most about your role?I began my term as Medical Editor with much excitement and anticipation, and the position has certainly met and exceeded my expectations. My previous involvement as the Members Center Editor served me well to transition to being Medical Editor, and thus my duties and obligations as the Medical Editor have not been too surprising.

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New research shows that nearly 80% of consumers use the Internet to gather health information. How does this impact the allergist/immunologist and the AAAAI?Not only do a great majority of consumers look to the Internet for health information, but research also shows that Web sites are consumers' second most trusted resource for healthcare information. Patients want a collaborative, active role in their healthcare decisions. The continued growth of the Internet, especially with the proliferation of mobile Internet devices such as smartphones, clearly makes the Internet a leading resource for patients to use for information-gathering and decision-making processes.

With consumers' easy access to health information, allergist/immunologists will be caring for a more informed patient. Hopefully, this will improve the quality of care—both care delivered and care received. Even though health information is readily available, this information has varying degrees of accuracy and validity. Allergist/immunologists will have their roles as educators highlighted more so than before to help their patients navigate through all the information found on the Web. From a proactive standpoint, allergist/immunologists should be able to use the Internet to promote their practices to attract new patients, educate their communities and enhance the physician-patient relationships they have already established.

From the standpoint of the AAAAI, the Web site is its most successful tool for education and outreach to healthcare professionals and patients/consumers. Competition with other Web sites to be the definitive resource for allergy/immunology information has grown rapidly over the past few years. Numerous sites already compete for prominence on the Internet, and the number is only likely to grow with time. Not only are the number of medical Web sites likely to increase, but the content on such sites will continue to become more sophisticated.

In the environment of increasing consumer use of the Internet and the increasing number of competing Web sites, the AAAAI will have to devise a strategy to continue to advance its prominence in the Internet environment by continually disseminating up-to-date content and embracing new Internet technologies. Achieving these goals presents both an intellectual challenge for the information required and a fiscal challenge, as the Web site may require significant resources for continued daily oversight and content revision.

How do you hope to enhance the AAAAI member experience with a new Web site?The new Web site will have features that AAAAI members consider to be valuable member benefits. Our continuing medical education content will be enhanced, as well as methods for storing and retrieving personal CME information. We plan on creating a digital “library” where members can access an extensive array of video and audio content for CME credits. I hope to continue to offer technological avenues whereby members, committees and other groups can collaborate on projects in a more enriching environment than listservs, bulletin boards and e-mails. I hope to enhance “My Academy,” so that each member will have a true, individualized central Web page which they design and modify, containing the specific AAAAI information they desire. I also want the new Web site to have a foundation that is visually appealing, easy to navigate and continues to have valuable informational content.

What characteristics will define the new Web site from a patient's perspective?The AAAAI's Web site should be the definitive Internet resource for information regarding allergies, asthma and immunology. The redesign will be critical to maintaining and improving our prominence on the Internet.

The new Web site will be patient-centric and will eliminate the various “centers” structure the current Web site employs. The appearance will have a more contemporary, sophisticated look through the use of graphics, photos, illustrations and other non-text visual elements. Content will be visually stimulating, interactive and educational. Rich media content, such as audio, video, flash and podcasts will be added to better engage visitors.

As a physician, how do you use online tools?I use the Internet every day for reviewing drug information or other medical products and reviewing specific medical disease processes. I often look for journal articles to review the latest research. I also use the Internet for continuing medical education and to keep updated with my professional associations. For my patients, I often refer them to www.aaaai.org for further information and education about their condition and treatment regimen. Many of my colleagues use the Internet to communicate with their patients through secure e-mail or “virtual” office visits.

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Vital Stats

1.On average, Americans read at the seventh grade level.

2.Nearly 80% of all patients have searched for health information online.

3.62% of respondents to a Nielsen study said they are likely to consult the Web site of a professional medical organization for information regarding a disease or treatment.

Sources

1.National Center for Educational Statistics. 2008.

2.American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Long Range Planning and Development. Health Care Trends 2008. American Medical Association: 2008.

3.Nielsen Company: How the Web Drives Health Care Decisions. 2009.

Applications Now Being Accepted for AAAAI/ALA Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award 

To leverage resources and have a greater impact within the allergy/immunology specialty, the AAAAI and the American Lung Association (ALA) are co-funding the Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award. This grant will support research that has a high likelihood of advancing the understanding of allergic respiratory disease.

The award provides $50,000 per year, funded equally between the two organizations, and may be granted for up to two years, dependent on a demonstration of satisfactory progress and the availability of funding. A maximum of three awards will be funded.

Application materials are now available online at https://proposalcentral.altum.com. The deadline for submission is October 21, 2009, and the awards will be announced in February 2010. It is strongly advised that applicants first read through the program descriptions to determine complete eligibility and to ensure accurate preparation of the application.

To be eligible, an applicant must hold a doctoral degree and faculty appointment in an allergy/immunology division of an academic institution and be undertaking a project related to allergic respiratory disease. In addition, applicants must have completed a training fellowship and work in a not-for-profit institution, but can be at any level of research experience.

Recipients will be chosen by a review panel of representatives from the AAAAI and the ALA. All applications will be reviewed for scientific merit, innovation and feasibility of the research plan, in addition to relevance to the mission of the AAAAI and the ALA.

The initiative to partner with the ALA began several years ago and was spurred on by Thomas B. Casale, MD, FAAAAI.

“The future of health care depends upon successful partnerships. Combining scientific and financial resources with the ALA on this and other initiatives enhances our mutual goal of advancing the knowledge and practice of allergy and respiratory medicine for optimal patient care,” said Casale.

The collaboration between the AAAAI and the ALA looks to open many new doors for the specialty, ultimately serving to help the millions of patients suffering from allergic diseases.

Best Practices in PR

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Featuring: Timothy Craig, DO, FAAAAI

Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics

Penn State College of Medicine

Free Screening Yields Dividends

As allergist/immunologists, the “allergy” side of the equation tends to get the most attention; yet people suffering from immunologic conditions count on the specialty to provide optimal patient care. Building this skill base requires expanding opportunities for research and patient interactions.

How does a training program attract patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in order for residents to gain experience in this hereditary recessive autosomal disease? Penn State College of Medicine used a tiered approach to marketing.

“The most effective way to expand a practice is to engage with potential patients within a community setting. We can't expect them to just knock on our doors,” said Dr. Timothy Craig. “It is my opinion that allergist/immunologists should be experts in alpha augmentation. This required increasing our patient base of people with alpha.”

To this end, each year the allergy section of Penn State's College of Medicine offers an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency screen combined with an asthma screening. Although the school advertised the screening in local papers, Craig said the most effective way to reach this targeted audience was by partnering with local chapters of respective consumer organizations such as the American Lung Association and the Alpha-1 Foundation.

“The screening is extremely useful for potential patients,” Craig explains. We conduct short histories for obstructed lung disease, offer a physical exam, spirometry screen and alpha testing by a finger stick blood smear. We've screened about 300 patients and are now recognized as experts in alpha, have increased our patient base and have increased research recruits in asthma, COPD and alpha-1.”

“Over time, this outreach has helped us become recognized for asthma, alpha and COPD care. We're also proud that patients and potential patients associate our practice with community service.”

Note: Dr. Craig indicated that screening cards for the alpha-1 test are available free of charge from the Alpha-1 Foundation and from the makers of alpha-1 concentrate for augmentation.

If you have a public relations or marketing success story, let us know so we can share it with other members. Contact Marianne Canter at (414) 272-6071 or mcanter@aaaai.org. To start Promoting your Practice, visit the Members Only section of www.aaaai.org.

Be a Committee Champion 

Each year, the AAAAI committee appointment process gives members the chance to nominate themselves or others for consideration to serve on the AAAAI's various committees. This year, all AAAAI members are urged to participate in the process and be formally recognized as a “Committee Champion.”

“The committees of the AAAAI are vital to its success, so we're always looking for new insight and expertise,” said President Paul A. Greenberger, MD, FAAAAI. “Although members can feel free to nominate anyone, we highly encourage current committee chairs and members to nominate individuals they see as potential future leaders, especially newer members.”

The process is simple. Visit www.aaaai.org/committees/getinvolved for a list of committees and the nomination form. Nominations close September 25, 2009.

Committee Champions is open to all AAAAI members in good standing. You do not have to be a member of a committee to nominate someone for it, and you may place more than one name in nomination; however nomination does not guarantee committee appointment. All who self-nominate or nominate others will receive a Committee Champion ribbon at the 2010 Annual Meeting.

Web Drilldown 

In early 2009, the AAAAI launched its Facebook fan page, marking the organization's first foray into social media. A fan page allows people on Facebook—one of the most popular social networking Web sites—to show their support of the AAAAI and connect with others who are interested in allergic diseases. Since debuting, the page's popularity has grown steadily—the AAAAI currently has more than 400 fans. These fans are primarily patients and consumers, but also include AAAAI members and other healthcare professionals.

Facebook allows the Academy to share public education materials and news about current research in allergy/immunology, while also providing an opportunity to understand the concerns of consumers. This feedback helps the AAAAI tailor public education efforts to the specific needs of our audience. In addition, Facebook is a valuable outlet for promoting the role of the allergist/immunologist, and also directs people back to key resources on www.aaaai.org, such as the National Allergy Bureau's pollen levels, the Physician Referral Directory and the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Education and Research Trust (ART).

Connect with the AAAAI on Facebook today: www.facebook.com/AmericanAcademyofAllergyAsthmaandImmunology

From the Archives 

Since 1998, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Libraries have provided a home for the AAAAI archives.

UWM archivists assist AAAAI staff in transferring records with historical value to the UWM Libraries, where they are stored in a secure and climate-controlled area. Archivists organize the records, perform basic preservation measures and describe them in finding aids and catalog records. The collection is frequently consulted by AAAAI staff, and most record series are open for research by students and scholars. In fact, researchers from the United States and abroad have recently consulted the AAAAI archives for information concerning the history of allergy and asthma treatments.

Currently, the UMW Libraries are working with AAAAI staff on special projects to fill gaps in our holdings of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and to develop a records management program to assist AAAAI staff in identifying records for transfer to the archives.

Practical Issues for the Practicing Allergist 

•Purchase the 2009 Practice Management Workshop Recordings

Sessions from the recently sold-out Practice Management Workshop were professionally recorded and are now available for purchase online and on DVD. The audio of the lectures is synchronized with their screen presentations and offers a great opportunity to view the sessions you missed, or bring back the information to your office. Don't miss important content from the workshop, including sessions on electronic medical records (EMR), changing careers in mid-life and protecting your practice from risk, embezzlement and fraud.

The 2009 Practice Management Workshop, held last month in Boston, MA, marks the last year the workshop is being offered annually. Going forward, it will be presented every other year.

For more information and to place your order, visit www.associationarchives.com.

•Take the 2009 Practice Management Financial Data Survey

This annual survey developed by the Practice Management Committee collects and analyzes data regarding financial issues and manpower utilization in an effort to establish allergy-specific benchmarks. These benchmarks are used for internal comparisons by our members to assess how their specific practice is doing compared to national and regional standards.

To download the 2009 survey or view past results, visit the Members Center of www.aaaai.org and click on the “2009 Practice Management Financial Data Survey” link within the Practice & Policy box.