Work productivity in rhinitis using cell phones: The <scp>MASK</scp> pilot study

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Allergic rhinitis often impairs social life and performance. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to use cell phone data to assess the impact on work productivity of uncontrolled rhinitis assessed by visual analogue scale (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>). A mobile phone app (<jats:italic>Allergy Diary,</jats:italic> Google Play Store and Apple App Store) collects data from daily visual analogue scales (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>) for overall allergic symptoms (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐global measured), nasal (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐nasal), ocular (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐ocular) and asthma symptoms (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐asthma) as well as work (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work). A combined nasal‐ocular score is calculated. The <jats:italic>Allergy Diary</jats:italic> is available in 21 countries. The app includes the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Allergic Specific Questionnaire (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WPAI</jats:styled-content>:<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AS</jats:styled-content>) in six <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EU</jats:styled-content> countries. All consecutive users who completed the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work from 1 June to 31 October 2016 were included in the study. A total of 1136 users filled in 5818 days of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis were controlled (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐global <20) in approximately 60% of the days. In users with uncontrolled rhinitis, approximately 90% had some work impairment and over 50% had severe work impairment (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work >50). There was a significant correlation between <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐global calculated and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work (Rho=0.83, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic><0.00001, Spearman's rank test). In 144 users, there was a significant correlation between <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>‐work and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">WPAI</jats:styled-content>:<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AS</jats:styled-content> (Rho=0.53, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic><0.0001). This pilot study provides not only proof‐of‐concept data on the work impairment collected with the app but also data on the app itself, especially the distribution of responses for the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>. This supports the interpretation that persons with rhinitis report both the presence and the absence of symptoms.</jats:p>