Abstract
Background: Food allergy is a major health problem that significantly
impacts quality of life (QoL). There is growing focus to evaluate food
allergy related QoL and treatment value beyond the clinical
effectiveness perspective by engaging patients and caregivers. We aimed
to identify and prioritize outcomes important to food allergy parents of
children and patients allergic to milk, egg, and/or peanut, to guide
comparative effectiveness research (CER) that focuses on evaluating food
allergy treatment decisions. Methods: We conducted a modified 3-round
Delphi study to identify and derive consensus on priority treatment
outcomes for parents of children and adult patients with diagnosed
allergies to at least one of three major allergenic foods (milk, egg,
and peanut) from across the United States. Results: Round 1 yielded 44
statements for round 2, and 39 statements reached the agreement level
for round 3 ranking. Statements were organized under 4 sections: 1) food
allergy problems, 2) treatment experiences, 3) important treatment
outcomes, and 4) value of different treatment options. Conclusion: Food
allergy parents and patients face several social, psychological,
medical, healthcare, financial, food selection, and awareness
challenges. The areas of consensus on important treatment outcomes
revealed shared priority for reducing the risk of potentially fatal
allergic reactions and having reliable treatments. The most valued
treatment options reflect hope for permanent cure and fear of serious
allergic reactions.