Spreading and impact of the World Health Organization's Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma guidelines in everyday medical practice in France. Ernani survey

Summary Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the spreading level of the WHO-ARIA (World Health Organization's Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) guidelines among the medical community and their influence on medical practices. Methods A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was performed between April and July 2005 on randomly chosen general practitioners (GPs) (943) and ear, nose and throat (ENT) physicians (277). Results About 54.4% of the physicians claimed to know the WHO-ARIA guidelines and 49.7% said they followed them. These results vary significantly, mainly according to medical specialty (ENT vs. GP). In comparison to those who did not know the guidelines, their patients benefited more frequently (P