Analysis of criteria for choosing drug treatment strategies in allergic rhinitis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common type of rhinitis, the treatment of which relies on relieving symptoms. Therefore, we aimed to assess the criteria that influence doctors' decision-making in the process of drug selection for the treatment of allergic rhinitis based on quantitative, qualitative, and cost analyses. Methods: We conducted a survey study with the participation of 300 allergologists. A self-developed questionnaire was presented during a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) according tostandard procedures. The contingency table underwent statistical analysis using the chi-square test with Cramer's V. Results were considered statistically significant at Results: Our analyses showed that doctors most often prescribe intranasal glucocorticoids and oral antihistamines to treat allergic rhinitis in patients of all ages. The most common factor that affects the decision-making related to AR treatment was the efficiency of the drug. We found a significant relationship between factors and the main workplace (X-squared = 122.81, df = 90, Conclusion: Our study confirms that the management of AR should be focused on the patient. One of the most important factors in choosing a drug is its effectiveness. Moreover, an important factor in the effective treatment of AR is the financial issue; as shown in our analysis, AR treatment costs can be a significant burden, especially for less wealthy citizens in Poland.