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Multidisciplinary Care for Severe or Uncontrolled Chronic Upper Airway Diseases

  • Rhinosinusitis (J Mullol, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

A multidisciplinary approach is regarded as the best practice for many chronic diseases, such as cancer and asthma, with well-documented value. There is also evidence that it may be beneficial to patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and/or allergic airway disease presenting to tertiary referral centres. We discuss here whether and how organizing this kind of healthcare transition into a more integrated care pathway would benefit severe chronic upper airways disease (SCUAD) management.

Recent Findings

Based on a recent related EUFOREA panel discussion, literature search, and review of the best overseas practices, an appropriate implementation strategy of multidisciplinary care and its potential results are presented. Organizational principles, hurdles, and challenges of the process, as well as envisaged solutions and results, are being reported.

Summary

The efficiency of care and the quality control assessment are concepts that are currently gaining importance. At the same time, novel treatment options based on molecular and precision medicine advancements, such as biologics, are being increasingly prescribed. Appropriately organized multidisciplinary care teams can adapt to new demands, data, and discoveries to assure maximum benefit for both patients and healthcare professionals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Crete, Greece

    Ioannis Vlastos, Maria Doulaptsi & Emmanuel Prokopakis

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Vlastos

  3. Rhinology Unit & Smell Clinic, ENT Department, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona; Clinical and Experimental Respiratory Immunoallergy, IDIBAPS; and CIBERES, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Joaquim Mullol

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium

    Valerie Hox

  5. Allergy & Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Sven Seys & Peter Hellings

  6. Clinical Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Peter Hellings

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  1. Ioannis Vlastos
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  2. Joaquim Mullol
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Correspondence to Emmanuel Prokopakis.

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Vlastos, I., Mullol, J., Hox, V. et al. Multidisciplinary Care for Severe or Uncontrolled Chronic Upper Airway Diseases. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 21, 27 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-021-01004-z

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