European specialist care in allergology and clinical immunology in the new millennium *

One of the major aims of the specialty sections of the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) is the harmonization of practice parameters in the specialist medical care of patients throughout Europe. Twomajor goals of such harmonization are the achievement of greater uniformity in patient care across different European countries and the facilitation of mobility of specialists between these countries. Practice parameters in the ®eld of allergology and clinical immunology vary widely in different European countries. In some areas, specialists in allergology and clinical immunology are based in internal medicine, whereas, in others, the specialty of allergology and clinical immunology is practiced from organ-based specialties, usually dermatology, pulmonology, and/or ENT. At its inception, the Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology of the UEMS formulated basic recommendations for training in allergology and clinical immunology, stating that such training should follow from a common trunk of internal medicine and/or pediatrics. The principal motivation for this recommendation was the fact that allergic diseases are systemic disorders often involving multiple organs, and that specialists may best approach this discipline from the broadly oriented medical background that internal medicine and pediatrics provide. This remains the case, and is particularly relevant in situations or areas where the organ-based specialties do not themselves require signi®cant training in internal medicine or pediatrics. A single recognized specialty of allergology and clinical immunology based in internal medicine and/or pediatrics would improve the ef®ciency of training and * This position statement was unanimously endorsed by the UEMS Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology and the EAACI Educational and Specialty Committee at their meeting in Cascais, Portugal, on 6 November 1999. Delegates present: Dr F. Braido (on