[Ambitions and main conclusions of the conference "Global health, local decisions" organized by the Digital Health Network].

Health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Health must therefore be considered in its entirety. To begin with, however, it is vital to move swiftly from the concept of holistic health to its practical implementation.

Adherence to Treatment in Allergic Rhinitis During the Pollen Season in Europe: A MASK-air Study.

Background: Adherence to rhinitis treatment has been insufficiently assessed. We aimed to use data from the MASK-air mHealth app to assess adherence to oral antihistamines (OAH), intra-nasal corticosteroids (INCS) or azelastine-fluticasone in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods: We included regular European MASK-air users with self-reported allergic rhinitis and reporting at least 1 day of OAH, INCS or azelastine-fluticasone.

Relevance of individual bronchial symptoms for asthma diagnosis and control in patients with rhinitis: A MASK-air study.

Rationale: It is unclear how each individual asthma symptom is associated with asthma diagnosis or control.

Objectives: To assess the performance of individual asthma symptoms in the identification of patients with asthma and their association with asthma control.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed real-world data using the MASK-air app.

Proof-of-concept study of anti-Fel d 1 IgY antibodies in cat food using the MASK-air app.

Background: An innovation to better manage cat-allergic patients utilises anti-Fel d 1 IgY antibodies to neutralise Fel d 1 after its production by the cat. However, there is no published study showing its clinical efficacy in humans in a home setting. A longitudinal, open-label, proof-of-concept study was carried out to approach clinical efficacy of the cat food in cat-allergic patients.

Patient-centered digital biomarkers for allergic respiratory diseases and asthma: The ARIA-EAACI approach - ARIA-EAACI Task Force Report.

Biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with rhinitis and/or asthma are urgently needed. Although some biologic biomarkers exist in specialist care for asthma, they cannot be largely used in primary care. There are no validated biomarkers in rhinitis or allergen immunotherapy (AIT) that can be used in clinical practice.

Development and validation of an electronic daily control score for asthma (e-DASTHMA): a real-world direct patient data study.

Background: Validated questionnaires are used to assess asthma control over the past 1-4 weeks from reporting. However, they do not adequately capture asthma control in patients with fluctuating symptoms. Using the Mobile Airways Sentinel Network for airway diseases (MASK-air) app, we developed and validated an electronic daily asthma control score (e-DASTHMA).

Digitally-enabled, patient-centred care in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity: The ARIA-MASK-air approach.

MASK-air , a validated mHealth app (Medical Device regulation Class IIa) has enabled large observational implementation studies in over 58,000 people with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. It can help to address unmet patient needs in rhinitis and asthma care. MASK-air is a Good Practice of DG Santé on digitally-enabled, patient-centred care.

Real-world data using mHealth apps in rhinitis, rhinosinusitis and their multimorbidities.

Digital health is an umbrella term which encompasses eHealth and benefits from areas such as advanced computer sciences. eHealth includes mHealth apps, which offer the potential to redesign aspects of healthcare delivery. The capacity of apps to collect large amounts of longitudinal, real-time, real-world data enables the progression of biomedical knowledge.

Consistent trajectories of rhinitis control and treatment in 16,177 weeks: The MASK-air® longitudinal study.

Introduction: Data from mHealth apps can provide valuable information on rhinitis control and treatment patterns. However, in MASK-air®, these data have only been analyzed cross-sectionally, without considering the changes of symptoms over time. We analyzed data from MASK-air® longitudinally, clustering weeks according to reported rhinitis symptoms.

Comparison of rhinitis treatments using MASK-air® data and considering the minimal important difference.

Background: Different treatments exist for allergic rhinitis (AR), including pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy (AIT), but they have not been compared using direct patient data (i.e., "real-world data").

Allergen immunotherapy in MASK-air users in real-life: Results of a Bayesian mixed-effects model.

Background: Evidence regarding the effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) on allergic rhinitis has been provided mostly by randomised controlled trials, with little data from real-life studies.

Objective: To compare the reported control of allergic rhinitis symptoms in three groups of users of the MASK-air app: those receiving sublingual AIT (SLIT), those receiving subcutaneous AIT (SCIT), and those receiving no AIT.

Methods: We assessed the MASK-air data of European users with self-reported grass pollen allergy, comparing the data reported by patients receiving SLIT, SCIT and no AIT.

Behavioural patterns in allergic rhinitis medication in Europe: A study using MASK-air real-world data.

Background: Co-medication is common among patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), but its dimension and patterns are unknown. This is particularly relevant since AR is understood differently across European countries, as reflected by rhinitis-related search patterns in Google Trends. This study aims to assess AR co-medication and its regional patterns in Europe, using real-world data.

Development and validation of combined symptom-medication scores for allergic rhinitis.

Background: Validated combined symptom-medication scores (CSMSs) are needed to investigate the effects of allergic rhinitis treatments. This study aimed to use real-life data from the MASK-air app to generate and validate hypothesis- and data-driven CSMSs.

Methods: We used MASK-air data to assess the concurrent validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of one hypothesis-driven CSMS (modified CSMS: mCSMS), one mixed hypothesis- and data-driven score (mixed score), and several data-driven CSMSs.

Implementation of the MASK-Air® App for Rhinitis and Asthma in Older Adults: MASK@Puglia Pilot Study.

Introduction: MASK-air® is an app whose aim is to reduce the global burden of allergic rhinitis and asthma. A transfer of innovative practices was performed to disseminate and implement MASK-air® in European regions. The aim of the study was to examine the implementation of the MASK-air® app in older adults of the Puglia TWINNING in order to investigate (i) the rate of acceptance in this population, (ii) the reasons for refusal and (iii) the evaluation of the app after its use.

Validity, reliability, and responsiveness of daily monitoring visual analog scales in MASK-air®.

Background: MASK-air® is an app that supports allergic rhinitis patients in disease control. Users register daily allergy symptoms and their impact on activities using visual analog scales (VASs). We aimed to assess the concurrent validity, reliability, and responsiveness of these daily VASs.

Correction to: Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13601-020-00323-0.].

A demonstration project of Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases: Prediction of interactions between air pollution and allergen exposure-the Mobile Airways Sentinel NetworK-Impact of air POLLution on Asthma and Rhinitis approach.

This review analyzes the state and recent progress in the field of information support for pollen allergy sufferers. For decades, information available for the patients and allergologists consisted of pollen counts, which are vital but insufficient. New technology paves the way to substantial increase in amount and diversity of the data.

Digital transformation of health and care to sustain Planetary Health: The MASK proof-of-concept for airway diseases-POLLAR symposium under the auspices of Finland's Presidency of the EU, 2019 and MACVIA-France, Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD, WH0) demonstration project, Reference Site Collaborative Network of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.

In December 2019, a conference entitled "Europe That Protects: Safeguarding Our Planet, Safeguarding Our Health" was held in Helsinki. It was co-organized by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Finnish Environment Institute and the European Commission, under the auspices of Finland's Presidency of the EU. As a side event, a symposium organized as the final POLLAR (Impact of air POLLution on Asthma and Rhinitis) meeting explored the digital transformation of health and care to sustain planetary health in airway diseases.

ARIA digital anamorphosis: Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice.

Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease.

Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

Reported COVID-19 deaths in Germany are relatively low as compared to many European countries. Among the several explanations proposed, an early and large testing of the population was put forward. Most current debates on COVID-19 focus on the differences among countries, but little attention has been given to regional differences and diet.

Interactions Between Air Pollution and Pollen Season for Rhinitis Using Mobile Technology: A MASK-POLLAR Study.

Background: Several studies have suggested an interaction between air pollution and pollen exposure with an impact on allergy symptoms. However, large studies with real-life data are not available.

Objective: To investigate associations between major air pollutants (ozone and particulate matter with a diameter of <2.