Caring for the allergic patient - WAO White Book on Allergy 2026 - 1

Optimal care for allergic patients requires several key conditions. First, patients should have access to well-educated and well-trained specialists and primary care physicians. Training and education should be competence-based, for example, following the principles of the CanMEDS framework tailored to the field of allergy. Physicians should not only be medical experts but also communicators and collaborators, leaders and health advocates, scholars, and professionals. Well-designed training programs should aim at standards of care and harmonisation of clinical practice. Also, the ethical aspects of care should be taken into account. Second, recognizing that allergy is a systemic disease that transcends the boundaries of medical disciplines, collaboration among healthcare professionals is essential for high-quality allergy care. This necessitates facilities capable of delivering multidisciplinary care, ideally through the establishment of well-organized allergy centres. Not only physicians but also nurses, dieticians, psychologists and pharmacists should play a role. Given that interventions and treatments can have a significant impact, effective communication and collaboration with the patient are essential. To give the patient a voice, one can use shared decision-making. Shared decision making may enhance adherence, outcomes, and patient satisfaction.