The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) released a special article—published by Corbett et al in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology—focusing on racial disparities in patients with atopic dermatitis and food allergies, as these conditions are more prevalent in people of color than White individuals. The ACAAI conducted a member survey, interviewed health-care providers and advocates, and hosted a roundtable discussion to learn more about racial disparities in these conditions and steps that could be taken to improve them.
Two hundred ACAAI members completed the survey, and nearly 70% of respondents replied that racial disparities contribute to underdiagnosis of eczema and food allergies in people of color, though around a third of respondents also reported diagnosing these conditions in people of color several times a week. In addition, 40% of survey respondents said their patients of color had shared specific challenges with them—mostly based around Medicaid/insurance coverage and lack of awareness/education about their symptoms and/or conditions. Interviews with health-care providers and advocates identified the following main issues for people with color and these conditions: access to care, burden of costs, policies and infrastructure that limit access to safe foods and patient education, and inadequate research involving people of color. Lastly, a fuller roundtable discussion resulted in recommendations for improving these disparities going forward by endeavoring to include more people of color in clinical trials; aiming to increase the number of health-care providers of color; providing awareness and education to allergy and asthma specialists as well as primary care providers on diagnosing these conditions in people of color; leveraging SNAP to make safe foods more available to those with food allergies; developing a photo library of people of color with atopic dermatitis; creating patient education materials specifically for these populations; and more.
The report concluded, “It is hoped that the proposed solutions to these challenges will inspire actions by health-care systems, advocacy organizations, policymakers, payers, the allergy and asthma community, and academia that will make a difference in the lives of people with skin of color and mitigate racial disparities in atopic dermatitis and food allergy.”
Lastly, the ACAAI has a white paper available based on information gathered through this initiative.