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June 18, 2008 |
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Welcome to ACAAI eNews
— a bi-weekly aggregated news service from the American
College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. To be removed
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2007 ACAAI Annual Meeting Vodcasts
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Calendar |
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JULY
Guides for the Trail Ahead:
Intermountain West Allergy Association
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 17-20, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Contact: Doug Huneywell
Tel: 509-924-9722
Email
26th Annual Aspen Allergy Conference
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
July 22-26, Aspen, Colo.
Contact: Jill Hibbeln
Tel: 303-733-9590
Email
AUGUST
The Alabama Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's
29th Annual Postgraduate Course
Aug. 8-10, Destin, Fla.
Contact: Richard Carson
Tel: 334-954-2577
Email
9th Annual Tennessee Society Meeting
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Aug. 22-24, Franklin, Tenn.
Contact: Anna Brooks
Tel: 865-342-7057
Email
SEPTEMBER
Long Island Allergy and Asthma Society
15th Annual Scientific Conference
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Sept. 5-7, Montauk, N.Y.
Contact: Muataz Jaber, MD
Tel: 516-764-4180
Email
OCTOBER
3rd International Symposium in Italy
Co-sponsored by ACAAI
Oct. 1, Verona, Italy
Oct. 3-4, Venice, Italy
Contact: Jacqueline Roberts
Tel: 301-938-2941
Email
Northwest Allergy Forum 2008
Washington State Society of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Oct. 3-5, Seattle, Wash.
Contact: Hannah Scott
Tel: 206-341-1353
Email
Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society
Pending ACAAI Joint Sponsorship
Oct. 17-18, Hot Springs, Va.
Contact: Eric Bletzinger
Tel: 270-684-6144
Email
ONGOING
World Allergy Organization Society Meetings
ACAAI
CME Website
Contact: Mary Campbell
Tel: 847-427-1200
Email
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Sponsored
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Top
Stories |
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FDA: Strengthen Enbrel warning label for kids
The Food and Drug Administration recently asked Amgen Inc. to strengthen its label warnings on Enbrel to include that the drug, when used by children, may lead to moderate-to-severe infections and may even result in death. Enbrel is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children, and psoriasis in adults. An FDA advisory committee is looking into whether Enbrel may be approved to treat children with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. 
Americans spent $11 billion on allergies in 2005
Americans spent $11 billion on physician payments, prescription drugs and various allergy treatments in 2005, according to government statistics released recently by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. That year, according to the report, 22 million Americans visited a physician for allergy symptoms. The amount spent on allergic disease in 2005 was nearly double the $6 billion spent in 2000. The amounts listed don’t include over-the-counter medications for allergic rhinitis.
Adult-onset asthma linked to CHD, stroke in women
Adult-onset asthma appears to increase coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke risk among women, according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stoneville, Miss., used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study to look at the association between asthma age-of-onset phenotypes and incidence of CHD and stroke by gender. Compared with subjects without asthma, women with adult-onset asthma had a 2.10-fold increase in CHD rates and a 2.36-fold increase stroke rates, after adjusting for demographic variables and established CHD factors. The association was not seen in men, or among women with childhood-onset asthma. |
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Message from ACAAI President Dr. Jay M. Portnoy
A win-win solution
How much would the registration fee cost to attend an annual meeting of the ACAAI if there was no support from industry? The answer to this trick question is that there would be no registration fee because there would be no meeting to attend. Yes, the ACAAI and all other medical societies are heavily dependent on financial support from industry — whether we like it or not. This goes both ways, however, since the pharmaceutical industry depends on relationships with professional medical organizations, such as the College, both to promote and market their products. In many ways, this symbiotic relationship between professional organizations and pharmaceutical companies has proven to have both advantages and disadvantages.
Clearly, it is in everyone’s best interest for healthcare providers to receive the best continuing medical education available. I take comfort knowing that my physician keeps his knowledge and skills up-to-date by attending educational conferences regularly. The fact that some of this education is supported by unrestricted pharmaceutical grants and the rest takes place in promotional environments is not as important to me as the fact that he at least is exposed to and learns new information that will help him to better manage my health problems.
We now are facing a new environment in which pharmaceutical companies are increasingly reluctant, and in some cases, unable to provide support for educational programs. There is even greater reluctance to support activities that fund the operation of our professional organizations. This trend became noticeable a little more than five years ago and has accelerated recently for a variety of reasons, raising questions about the nature of medical education in the future. While I am extremely optimistic about the future vitality of allergy as a specialty, I see a need to closely monitor the future of medical education. The coming changes will require coordinated leadership from all of our professional organizations.
We could of course try to maintain the status quo and look for alternate sources of funding, including the possibility of raising registration fees or even (gasp!) raising dues. That, of course, would be about as popular as raising taxes during an election year when gas prices are soaring. Alternatively, we could reduce the cost of the annual meeting by limiting its educational and social activities, but that would convert it from a world-class event to just another meeting and would not solve the problem.
The ACAAI Annual Meeting serves multiple purposes. It is a source of world-class, cutting-edge information in the form of plenary sessions, workshops, symposia, oral abstracts and poster sessions. Committees do some of their work during the meeting, as well as plan new projects. The meeting also is a venue in which we can renew relationships and compare our experiences. After all, it is called a meeting primarily because that is where we go to meet.
Medical education, on the other hand, requires ongoing exposure to new ideas more often than once a year. That is why the Conferences On-Line for Allergy (COLA) initiative is so important. It eventually will become a forum through which we will maintain our skills and personal connections in a time when travel is becoming prohibitively expensive and inconvenient. Though the annual meetings of our organizations will continue to be important forums for planning and doing the work of the specialty, their role as a venue for medical education may need to change since that can be accomplished through other means as described above. Look for the launch of the COLA calendar coming soon.
Regardless of how we approach this new environment, it is important that we plan ahead. That way, when change does come we are not caught by surprise. The College does plan to work more closely with industry in the coming years through its new pharmaceutical communications bureau, currently chaired by Dr. Dana Wallace. New types of collaboration with agencies, such as the EPA, and even with health plans, will allow us to try new ways of working together that were not possible just a few years ago. It is with this combination of new initiatives and leadership that the College and its members will thrive in the new environment. It is true that necessity is the mother of invention. By learning to take advantage of new technologies that are just now becoming available, we all will find ourselves in a win-win situation.
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Association
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Save the Date: ACAAI Annual Meeting, Nov. 6-11, in Seattle
Look for your “Save the Date” package, featuring program information for the 2008 ACAAI Annual Meeting mailed to all members. The meeting, titled Embracing the Challenges of Change, will be held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Nov. 6-11.
“The meeting will address allergic and immunologic diseases in a state-of-the-art scientific manner that is both contemporary and practical,” said ACAAI President-Elect and Program Chair Dr. Richard G. Gower. “Programs will prepare attendees for the fascinating changes in medicine, science, and pharmacology, as well as the escalating legal, political and socioeconomic issues that are rapidly impacting our delivery of medical care.”
A one-day program will kick off the meeting Thursday, Nov. 6, with a morning session on immunotherapy and an afternoon session devoted to clinical dermatological allergy.
Seattle is an ideal destination, known as the “Emerald City” for its lush evergreens in the surrounding area. In addition to having a coffee house on every block and the original Starbucks, Seattle features unique attractions, such as the Space Needle, Pike Place Market and a bustling waterfront with restaurants and shopping, as well as starting points for ferries, cruise ships and boat tours.
Join your colleagues in the vibrant city of Seattle for a state-of-the-art, dynamic scientific program built on 65 years of experience.
Submit your abstracts online: Deadline is July 15
The deadline for abstract submission for the ACAAI Annual Meeting is 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, July 15. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
To submit an abstract, go to the ACAAI Website and click on the headline
"2008 Annual Meeting Abstract Submission." On-screen prompts will take you through the submission process.
If you have already begun to enter an abstract in the system — but did not actually hit the "submit" button — you must go back into the system and submit. After the abstract is submitted, you will receive an e-mail confirmation. Abstracts not officially submitted cannot be considered.
The ACAAI Job Source online services will enhance your search
The ACAAI Job Source provides a convenient online service for posting and searching employment opportunities within the specialty. The service is located on the College member Web site.
Job seekers can access the Job Source at no cost to search employment opportunities and to post their resumes for advertised positions. An anonymous resume feature enables you to list your experience and qualifications in a protected environment. A Job Alert system notifies you by e-mail when a new job has been posted that matches your search criteria. Other program features allow you to save searches, store jobs in an account, keep notes about job opportunities and communicate with employers using an internal messaging system. Candidates stay connected to the employment market while maintaining full control of their confidential information.
Employers can purchase an ad for their available positions. When making your purchase, you have the option to pay online with a credit card or to be invoiced. Your account will allow you to post and manage job openings, search and manage job candidates and create a company profile.
The Job Source includes all categories of allergy, asthma, and immunology personnel, including physicians, program directors, investigators, laboratory technicians, nurses and administrators.
 International Fellow in the spotlight: Prof. Cantani publishes new book
Prof. Arnaldo Cantani, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Roma La Sapienza Medical School, is the author of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, published January 2008 (Springer) for medical students, practicing physicians, allergists, immunologists, and researchers. The book includes information about basic immunology, fetal-neonatal immunology, genetic and environmental predisposing factors, epidemiology and natural history of atopic diseases, and allergy diagnosis.
According to Prof. Cantani, extensive coverage is devoted to skin conditions and food allergy, asthma, rhinitis, specific immunotherapy, eye disorders, sinusitis and secretory otitis media, drug allergies, and anaphylaxis. Chapters of the book explore such topics as autoimmune diseases, primary immunodeficiencies, pediatric HIV infection, malnutrition and the immune system. Finally, a chapter on prevention of the atopic march discusses how effective early intervention may greatly decrease the upsurge in atopy.
Have you written a new book? Have you won a prestigious award? Are you doing something that ACAAI members would really find interesting? Submit notable achievements and read about those of your peers in ACAAI eNews. Please e-mail member news notices to joannfaber@acaai.org.
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AMA Corner |
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Welcome to the AMA Corner prepared by Dr. Alnoor A. Malick, ACAAI Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates, to keep you abreast of important AMA news and developments affecting allergy-immunology.
New e-mail drug safety alert system available
All physicians are encouraged to enroll in the Health Care Notification Network (HCNN), a new e-mail drug safety alert system. Developed by Medem in cooperation with the AMA, the HCNN improves patient safety by efficiently delivering drug and medical device safety notices that traditionally have been sent on paper through the U.S. Postal Service. The majority of US liability insurance carriers are actively promoting the HCNN to their insured physicians. The HCNN has the following benefits:
- It’s free to physicians and is used only for patient safety notices. It includes no advertising or other use of physician information.
- It’s much faster and more efficient than paper-based patient safety alerts. Delays in the delivery of alerts can increase liability risk.
- Physicians can designate office staff members to receive HCNN alerts to facilitate patient follow-up when needed.
- Physicians can opt out at any time.
Intended recipients who do not open an e-mail alert will be mailed a paper alert, as will providers not enrolled in the HCNN.
New resource can help improve practice efficiency
Physician practices can save significant administrative time and expense by electronically performing routine functions, such as verifying patient eligibility and contacting a health insurer about the status of a claim.
To help physicians more fully understand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) electronic standard transactions, as well as the HIPAA transactions and code set rule and how this rule affects the physician practice, the AMA developed “Understanding the HIPAA standard transactions: The HIPAA transactions and code set rule.” This educational resource explains how physician practices can prepare themselves for using the electronic standard transactions and ensure that health insurers with whom they are contracted comply with the HIPAA electronic standard transactions.
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Fellows-in-Training |
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Board Review Corner
Welcome to the Board Review Corner prepared by Drs. Bret R. Haymore and Jennifer W. Mbuthia, Senior and Junior Representatives of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to the Board of Regents. The Board Review Corner is an opportunity to help hone your Board preparedness.
To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the “FIT Archive” link in the left column.
Review Questions: Chapter 29 of Pediatric Allergy: Principles & Practices, edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. Review questions were written by Dr. Bret R. Haymore, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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