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Labelling of rhinitis and hayfever by doctors
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Social Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, London.
Thorax
|May 1, 1991
Summary
Doctors frequently misdiagnose rhinitis, especially hayfever. Seasonal rhinitis is more often labeled than perennial rhinitis, leading to underdiagnosis and impacting consultation rates.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- General Practice
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Rhinitis diagnosis influences patient management and epidemiological data.
- Accurate labeling of rhinitis, particularly hayfever, is crucial for understanding prevalence and healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors affecting how doctors label rhinitis in adult patients.
- To compare physician-assigned diagnoses with defined criteria for rhinitis and hayfever.
Main Methods:
- A study of 7702 adults in South London, identifying rhinitis via questionnaire.
- In-depth interviews and allergy skin prick tests for a subset of participants.
- Comparison of interview data with medical records for diagnosed rhinitis patients.
Main Results:
- Seasonal rhinitis was nearly twice as likely to be labeled by doctors compared to perennial rhinitis.
- Over 25% of individuals meeting hayfever criteria were undiagnosed.
- Higher social classes were more likely to be labeled with hayfever, despite similar prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Rhinitis, especially hayfever, is frequently underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed in general practice.
- Improved detection of hayfever could explain rising consultation rates for respiratory conditions.
- Physician labeling of rhinitis does not consistently align with clinical and diagnostic criteria.