NEWSVIEW

■ AAAAI Mission Statement 

The mission of the AAAAI is the advancement of the knowledge and practice of allergy, asthma and immunology by discussion at meetings, by fostering the education of students and the public, by encouraging union and cooperation among those working in the field, and by promoting and stimulating research and study in allergy, asthma and immunology.

This mission is fulfilled through the four areas of the AAAAI’s 1997-2000 Strategic Plan: Outreach, Clinical Education, Research & Training, and Professional Development. The following AAAAI programs and services listed represent only a few of the initiatives the Academy is currently undertaking to further the goals of the Strategic Plan.

For more information on any of the programs and services listed below, contact the AAAAI executive office: 611 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202; telephone (414) 272-6071; fax (414) 272-6070; e-mail info@aaaai.org; Web site www.aaaai.org.

■ UPCOMING MEETINGS AAAAI Annual Meeting dates and sites 

Thank you to all those who attended the recent successful 55th AAAAI Annual Meeting in Orlando. The meeting offered delegates the opportunity to present cutting-edge research, exchange insights, learn new clinical and research techniques, and network with colleagues. Visit the AAAAI Web site for information on ordering audio tapes or presentation handouts, or call the AAAAI executive office.

■ Learn more about Clinical Cutaneous Allergy and Immunology 

As a unique interface between two specialties, the AAAAI and the American Academy of Dermatology will present the second Clinical Cutaneous Allergy and Immunology meeting October 9-11, 1999, at the New York Hilton and Towers in New York City. In focusing on atopic dermatitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis, this collaborative conference will provide allergists and dermatologists with the opportunity to share knowledge and experience in the diagnosis and management of these difficult conditions.

Mark your calendar for this innovative meeting and watch for additional updates as the program is developed. To place your name on the mailing list for this conference, contact the AAAAI executive office.

MEMBER INFORMATION ■ Visit the award-winning www.aaaai.org Web site and AADMC site 

Check out the AAAAI’s Web site at www.aaaai.org. The award-winning site continues to be constantly updated, and contains useful information in a clear format, with a search engine that provides quick and easy information retrieval. The site’s quick-load graphics allow site visitors have almost instant access to the information they’re seeking.

The site is divided into four major sections: the Physician Referral Directory, the Member/Health Professional Resource Center, the Patient/Public Resource Center, and Media Information Hub. To offer comments and suggestions on the site, or if there is additional information you would like to have included, please contact Online Communications Manager Georganne Dixon by e-mail at gdixon@aaaai.org.

The AAAAI Web site is supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Schering/Key.

Busy Academy members and other medical professionals can quickly find a wealth of information about the latest research and developments in allergy, asthma and immunology by logging on to the AAAAI’s Allergy and Asthma Disease Management Center (AADMC) Web site, www.aadmc.org, accessible through the Academy’s Web site, www.aaaai.org.

For easy information retrieval, the site is organized into several sections: Current Literature, In the News, Ask the Expert and “Quiz of the Month.” The www.aadmc.org site also contains a continuing medical education calendar of meetings and links to the Web sites of many other medical organizations. Taking advantage of this great resource will keep you ahead of the curve, so check out the site today! The AADMC Web page is supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Hoechst Marion Roussel.

■ Several practice parameters available 

The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters currently offers several practice parameters, including the new Sinusitis practice parameter, which is available for $1.35 plus shipping. Those available free of charge include the parameters on The Diagnosis and Management of Anaphylaxis and on The Diagnosis and Management of Immunodeficiency. For a copy of any of the parameters, please write the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at 50 North Brockway St, #3-3, Palatine, IL 60067, or call (847) 934-1918.

Practice parameters for Allergy Diagnostic Testing and The Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma are available for $35 each, which covers printing, shipping and handling. To order either of these publications, please send a check for the appropriate amount and a written request to the JCAAI at the address listed above.

■ Second edition of Allergy and Immunology MKSAP offers CME credit 

The Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program in Allergy and Immunology (A&I MKSAP) Committee has published the second edition of this popular home-study program, designed to sharpen physicians’ diagnostic and treatment skills. The program emphasizes practical, as well as theoretical, knowledge to assist physicians in providing optimal patient care. Like the first edition, the second edition of A&I MKSAP includes a syllabus, as well as 250 new multiple-choice questions with answers, critiques, and bibliographic citations.

The AI-MKSAP Program Committee is co-chaired by John J. Condemi, MD, and Mark S. Dykewicz, MD. The second edition is co-sponsored by the AAAAI, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and the American College of Physicians. Members of any of the three sponsor associations may order the program for $200; nonmembers, for $260. CME credit is available until June 2000. To order the second edition of the A&I MKSAP, call the American College of Physicians at 800-523-1546.

PUBLIC EDUCATION INFORMATION ■ 800 number provides patients with brochures, assistance of Spanish-speaking operator 

To assist you in providing patients with concise allergy and asthma information, the AAAAI offers 33 Tips to Remember patient education brochures on various topics, including Triggers of Asthma, Allergies to Animals, Sinusitis, Childhood Asthma, Immunotherapy and Latex Allergy. These colorful Tips brochures are ideal for patients to take home with them for future reference. Order them in bulk to place in your waiting room or to hand out during in-office education.

To serve the needs of Spanish-speaking allergy and asthma patients, all of the Tips topics are available in Spanish as well. In addition, a Spanish-speaking operator is now standing by on the AAAAI’s 1-800 Physician Referral and Information line, which provides patients with Tips brochures on requested topics and referral to an AAAAI allergy/asthma specialist in their area. For free samples of the Tips brochures in English or Spanish and ordering information, call the Physician Referral and Information line, 800/822-2762, or visit the AAAAI’s Web site at www.aaaai.org.

The Physician Referral and Information line and Tips brochures are sponsored through an unrestricted educational grant from Schering.

■ Patient education materials include Asthma & Allergy ADVOCATE newsletter, videos 

Add to your patient education spectrum by ordering the Asthma & Allergy ADVOCATE quarterly newsletter or any of the AAAAI’s 10 patient education videos. Both the ADVOCATE newsletter and the video topics provide patients with pertinent information on asthma, allergy, and related topics.

Subscriptions to the ADVOCATE are only $6/year for single subscriptions, $70/year for 100 copies of each quarterly issue, and $40 for an additional 100 copies per issue. All current AAAAI members are sent a free copy of each issue. The ADVOCATE is supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Schering-Plough.

The patient education video series offers 10 topical titles: Asthma Management, Asthma Triggers, Immunotherapy, Environmental Control Measures, Allergic Skin Reactions, Asthma and the Athlete, Anaphylaxis, Stinging Insect Allergy, Understanding Allergic Reactions, and Allergic Rhinitis. Each of the videos is $25, which includes shipping and handling. Orders must be prepaid. The AAAAI patient education videos are supported through an unrestricted educational grant from UCB Pharma, Inc.

For more information on the ADVOCATE newsletter or the patient education videos, contact the AAAAI executive office.

■ NEW Discover magazine supplement introduced; copies available to members 

Copies of a new, colorful, informative supplement presented by the AAAAI in the March 1999 issue of Discover magazine, The Allergy and Asthma Report 1999 , are now available to members. The 28-page supplement includes articles on “The Genes Behind the Disease,” “New Approaches to the Treatment of Asthma,” “Connecting Hay Fever to Bronchial Asthma,” and “The Mechanics of Allergic Inflammation.”

This supplement is available in limited quantities, so order yours today! The cost for five supplements is $4. To place your order, send a written request with a check, the quantities requested, and mailing information to Mary Ann Lasky at the AAAAI executive office.

■ National Allergy Bureau educates allergy sufferers about seasonal and perennial allergies 

The AAAAI’s National Allergy Bureau™ (NAB™), well-known for its educational information on seasonal allergies, has launched a campaign to raise public awareness about perennial allergies to indoor triggers. A new NAB toll-free number (1-877-9-ACHOOO) enables callers to request a free copy of the new brochure, “Because Allergies Last All Year Long,” which offers information about year-round allergies and tips on how to reduce exposure to common triggers. Callers may also listen to messages about coping with year-round allergies recorded by some of the country’s leading allergy experts. To order copies of this brochure for your office, or to request an order form, please call 1-877-9-ACHOOO.

The NAB has also created a new brochure to help allergy sufferers understand pollen seasons and better manage their allergy symptoms. The brochure, “These Plants Cause Allergies,” features maps of the United States that show the beginning and end of tree, grass, weed and ragweed seasons throughout the country as well as photos of some of the most highly allergenic plants. Allergy sufferers can obtain the brochure by calling 1-800-9-POLLEN, or by visiting the NAB’s Web site at www.aaaai.org/nab. The toll-free number and Web site also allow allergy sufferers to access local pollen and spore levels, which are updated three times each week.

To order additional copies of “These Plants Cause Allergies” for your office, or to request an order form, please call 1-800-9-POLLEN. Prices for the both of the new brochures range from $20 for 50 copies to $95 for 500 copies.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the NAB’s Aeroallergen Monitoring Network or have questions about the NAB, please contact Sarah Krukowski at the AAAAI executive office.

The National Allergy Bureau is sponsored through an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer Inc and UCB Pharma, Inc.