Access to specialist allergy care in rural and remote Australia has long been a challenge, leaving many patients without timely diagnosis and treatment. The launch of Allergy Assist™, an innovative online platform, is set to change the way rural doctors manage allergies—bringing expert guidance directly to the GPs and Rural Generalists who serve these communities.
Developed by the National Allergy Council in collaboration with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), this government-funded platform ensures that rural doctors have access to best-practice resources and specialist advice, reducing the need for unnecessary referrals and improving allergy care at the local level.
Allergic conditions—including food allergies, anaphylaxis, allergic rhinitis, and insect sting reactions—impact over five million Australians, yet many rural and remote patients struggle to access specialists due to workforce shortages and long wait times.
Allergy Assist™ has been designed to:
✅ Support GPs in allergy diagnosis and management, ensuring they can provide effective care locally.
✅ Provide specialist-reviewed advice within 48 hours for complex cases.
✅ Improve access to allergy care, particularly for communities where specialist services are scarce.
✅ Reduce unnecessary referrals, allowing hospitals and tertiary allergy clinics to prioritise high-risk cases.
With allergy-related conditions increasing across Australia, this platform ensures that rural doctors can confidently manage cases without needing specialist referrals for every patient.
Allergies are among the fastest-growing chronic conditions, affecting one in five Australians. For many rural patients, conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and chronic urticaria are often not given the attention they deserve, despite their significant impact on daily life.
Patients in regional areas frequently face:
Maria Said, National Allergy Council Director, highlights the importance of addressing these issues:
The platform provides evidence-based support for diagnosing and managing allergic conditions, including:
📌 Educational Modules – Covering allergy testing, medication use, and treatment planning.
📌 Specialist Advice Service – Secure case submission with expert feedback within 48 hours.
📌 ASCIA-Approved Guidelines – Providing GPs with trusted, up-to-date resources.
📌 Decision-Support Tools – Helping doctors determine whether to treat locally or refer patients for specialist care.
Allergy Assist™ follows the successful model of ACRRM’s Tele-Derm service, which has been assisting rural doctors with dermatology cases for over 20 years. This proven approach of providing remote specialist guidance ensures that rural doctors can make well-informed clinical decisions, even in the absence of an in-person specialist consultation.
For doctors working in regional and remote settings, Allergy Assist™ offers:
✔ Improved confidence in allergy management – with access to expert-backed guidance.
✔ Better patient outcomes – ensuring timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
✔ More efficient care pathways – reducing unnecessary specialist referrals.
✔ Stronger patient education – equipping families with knowledge on allergen avoidance and emergency response.
With allergic conditions on the rise, equipping rural doctors with the right tools ensures that patients receive the care they need without long delays or unnecessary travel.
The 12-month pilot program of Allergy Assist™ will run until February 2026, after which it will be assessed for long-term implementation. If successful, it could permanently change the way allergy care is delivered in regional and remote Australia.
For doctors in rural Australia, this initiative provides an invaluable resource—ensuring that allergy care is accessible, evidence-based, and responsive to patient needs.
🔗 Visit National Allergy Council – Allergy Assist™ for more information.
🔗 Eligible rural and regional doctors can apply for free access via ACRRM’s Learning Management System.
With Allergy Assist™, rural doctors now have the specialist support needed to manage allergies effectively within their own communities. This is a significant advancement in ensuring that patients, regardless of location, receive the best possible allergy care.
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