It has a strongly negative impact on the quality of life of patients due to the physical and psychological effects of the disease. Even arriving at its diagnosis is not always easy. We are talking about chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) whose diagnostic path is often full of difficulties and long timescales that cause considerable delays in starting the most appropriate therapies, also due to a lack of knowledge of the pathology among patients and in many cases among doctors general practitioners and pharmacists. Based on these critical issues, specific training and information meetings were held, dedicated to patients, MMGs and pharmacists, thanks to the collaboration between FederAsma and Allergie OdV–Italian Patient Federation, the Fenagifar territorial network and Ucare Italia. This is reported in an article published in Allies for Health (www.alleatiperlasalute.it), the portal dedicated to medical-scientific information created by Novartis.
An informed patient – reads the article – is able to better manage the disease and avoid dangerous mistakes, such as self-prescribing medicines. The dissemination of validated information on chronic spontaneous urticaria is useful for countering the spread of fake news, which finds fertile ground especially on social channels. Precisely with the aim of increasing knowledge and awareness of the disease, 3 online meetings were organized open to patients and caregivers who saw the participation of specialist doctors and psychologists. For each meeting there was a general presentation of the disease, followed each time by insights on: how to quickly identify the symptoms and facilitate the diagnostic process; daily management of chronic spontaneous urticaria; flare-ups.
Another important informative moment focused on the management of the CSU on vacation. The live web broadcast, in which a pharmacist and a specialist doctor collaborated, provided useful suggestions on how to better face the summer period and travel, also through the testimony of a patient.
The events organized – the article refers – have achieved considerable success, both in terms of the number of participants and feedback on the contents. The informal tone favored the involvement and comparison between the various figures present. Furthermore, the direct testimonies of patients have given the opportunity to address very practical issues of disease management, helping on the one hand other patients to deal with daily problems, on the other general practitioners and pharmacists to understand how to effectively support people suffering from chronic spontaneous urticaria.
