New aspects in allergy education with special emphasis on anaphylaxis

Interdisciplinary anaphylaxis education programs have been performed in Germany and Austria since 2007 according to the program of the Working Group on Anaphylaxis Training and Education (AGATE, “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Anaphylaxie Training und Edukation”), as well as in Switzerland with similar content. The basic units of education have been developed from a standardized guideline-based manual, which is continuously updated and is currently being converted into a modular system. In June 2016, an expert meeting took place in Davos, Switzerland, under the auspices of the Christine Kuhne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), bringing together experts from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with the aim of developing new concepts in allergy education. Supplementary online modules were discussed as new avenues in didactics and methodology. The electronic content of these modules is in the process of being formulated and existing websites are being adapted. In terms of content, the topic “anxiety” needs to be included, and guidance for an individualized risk-management strategy for patients would appear important. New target groups for anaphylaxis seminars (apart from physicians/nurses, other healthcare personnel, and non-medical health occupations such as pharmacists) include carers, teachers, and nursery school teachers.