Improving allergy management in the primary care network--a holistic approach.

The incidence, prevalence and costs of allergy have increased substantially in recent decades in many parts of Europe. The dominant model of allergy care within Europe is at the moment specialist-based. This model will become unsustainable and undeliverable with increasing disease prevalence. One solution to increase provision of allergy services is to diversify the providers. A new model for the provision of allergy care in the community with the general practitioner at the forefront is proposed. Pre- and postgraduate allergy education and training, implementation of pathways of care, allergy specialization and political will to generate resources and support are essential to achieve this new model. In parallel the holistic view of allergic diseases should be maintained, including assessment of severity and risk, psychological factors and health-care related costs in the context of the patient-centered decision making process.

A comprehensive indexed bibliography data base using a micro computer.

A comprehensive index has been developed for coding and cataloguing alcohol literature. A system has been implemented using a commercial data base management program and a micro computer for computerising the references. In addition to the index code and citation the user can also enter an abstract and a description of the article. References can be added to the computer, edited, searched for, displayed on screen, typed on paper, or sent to a text file using a selection of criteria entered by the user. When a search is performed the printout can include the abstract of each paper similar to that obtained from larger bibliographic services. Such a system is beneficial for personal study, for writing books, articles and theses and for use by departments and small libraries.