Welcome to the University of Miami Allergy Diagnostics & Allergen Immunotherapy Training Workshop

The Allergy Diagnostics & Allergen Immunotherapy Training Workshop gives medical practitioners the training they need to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with noncomplex, non-life-threatening allergies. Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other medical professionals who are not board-certified in allergy and immunology will develop evidence-based skills, knowledge, and confidence in the field of allergy and immunology. This program was developed in collaboration with the University of Miami Division of Continuing & International Education and MDaedificare.

Participants will gain practical instruction from the Miller School of Medicine clinical practitioners and faculty members. The instructors will include a board-certified Otolaryngologist with 30 years of experience in allergy testing and treatment, a family medicine physician who incorporates allergy and immunology into their practice, and other experts in the field.

Participants will earn a certificate of completion, issued from the University of Miami, demonstrating successful completion and mastery of the skill-based competencies taught within the program. 

Ten (10) hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits (AMA PRA Category 1™) are available.  

The Academy of Allergy & Asthma in Primary Care endorses this program, which fits with its mission to support primary physicians in better managing their allergy-suffering patient populations.

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Quick Facts About the Program

• Career and industry outlook

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. with an annual cost above $18 billion, affecting more than 50 million Americans each year. Demand for practitioners in this field is growing, and board-certified allergists alone will not be able to meet that demand. This substantial need for allergy diagnosis and treatment, combined with the small number of board-certified allergists, is one of many reasons that noncomplex allergy treatment, like the treatment of many chronic conditions, is moving into primary care and pediatric offices.

  At the same time, allergies are often contributing or co-present factors in conditions treated by other specialists, including dermatologists, pulmonologists, and otolaryngologists.

  Evidence shows that patient outcomes are improved, and medical costs are reduced through proper allergy diagnosis and improved access to management and treatment. Insurers, patients, and care managers are increasingly calling for noncomplex allergies to be treated in primary care, pediatric, and other non-traditional settings.

• What will I learn?

  The one-day Allergy Diagnostics & Allergen Immunotherapy Training Workshop will combine instruction from primary care and specialist practitioners, as well as hands-on training and practice.

  You will learn:

  • Why more people are experiencing allergies
  • Which substances trigger allergy symptoms
  • How to safely and accurately confirm a patient’s specific allergy triggers
  • How and when to perform blood and skin testing for environmental, food, and penicillin allergies, with hands-on practice conducting skin tests
  • How to accurately interpret and measure the level of allergic reaction that may occur during testing
  • How to differentiate between a food allergy and an intolerance
  • Current allergy treatment methods and standards of care
  • How to reduce the risks of allergic reactions
  • Prevention, treatment, and management of anaphylaxis
  • How to code allergy testing and treatment to receive insurance reimbursement
  • How to understand and communicate current evidence for cost savings and efficacy associated with allergic disease management in primary care settings

• How will I benefit from UM's program?

  Physicians will be able to incorporate allergy diagnosis, testing, treatment, and management into their practice. They will be able to administer allergy testing and immunotherapy treatment to their patients, even if they are not board-certified in allergy and immunology. Physicians will be able to provide allergy care within their private practices, continuing and expanding upon their existing relationships with patients.

  Physicians will also be able to appropriately bill and receive reimbursement from insurance companies for providing allergy care.

  Other medical practitioners will bring advanced training and skills to work with primary care physicians, as well as allergists, pediatricians, otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, dermatologists, and other specialists. They will be well-positioned to assist with or perform allergy testing and immunotherapy, as well as educate patients and other practitioners in current allergy standards of care for management, treatment, and prevention. They will also be able to perform the billing and coding required for reimbursement of allergy testing and treatment.

  Medical practitioners will earn nine Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits (AMA PRA Category 1™) when they complete this workshop.

• Is this program right for me?

  The hands-on training portions of the workshop have been designed for participants with prior experience working in the medical field, like family medicine or pediatric resident, physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or certified medical assistant working in a medical office.

  Allied health professionals, including acupuncturists or registered dieticians/nutritionists, may also find this program useful for enhancing their understanding of clients’ allergy testing results, allergy, and food intolerances. 

  This program may be especially valuable for clinicians working in primary care, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, pulmonology, and otolaryngology.

• How long is the program?

  The Allergy Diagnostics & Allergen Immunotherapy Training Workshop is a one-day, ten-hour workshop offered in a synchronous and remote delivery format. 

• Faculty

  • Dr. Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez, VP for Research & Academic Affairs
  • Dr. Zafar Nawaz, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Course Director)
  • Dr. Fredric Pullen, Professor, vol, Department of Otolaryngology
  • Dr. Sultan Ahmed, Volunteer Faculty, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• Program format and location

  This workshop will be offered in a synchronous and remote delivery format.   

• Tuition and fees

  The registration fee for the one-day Allergy Diagnostics & Allergen Immunotherapy Training Workshop is $500.

  Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more participants.

  Financial assistance is available for this program. To learn more, please speak with an enrollment advisor at (305) 284-8841.

• What can I do after earning the certificate?

  Upon successful completion of the workshop, you will be able to:

  • Perform and interpret allergy skin and blood tests
  • Determine how and which allergens cause allergic reactions
  • Be prepared to administer allergy treatment, including allergen immunotherapy
  • Understand how to manage allergic disease in relation to other chronic conditions, such as pulmonary, sinus, sleep, ophthalmic, and dermatologic conditions
  • Understand the billing and coding required for recording and insurance reimbursement of allergy diagnosis and treatment
  • Include allergy diagnosis, treatment, and management as part of your practice, with confidence that it is within the scope of your training

• What are the requirements to earn the certificate?

  To earn the certificate, participants must have prior recognized medical training. Recognized degrees include M.D., D.O., nursing, or physician assistant; certified medical assistants may also qualify to earn the certificate. Participants must also attend all of the lectures and virtual hands-on training.

• Required courses

  To earn a certificate of completion, participants must complete the following required courses:

  • Basics: Allergy and the Immune System
  • Allergens: Aeroallergens, Food, Mammals and Inhalant Insects
  • Practical Allergy Skin and Blood Testing, Interpretation and Diagnosis
  • Adverse Effects: Risk Reduction, Prevention, Treatment and Management of Anaphylaxis
  • Clinical Pharmacology: Allergy Medications; Allergy Prevention and Avoidance
  • Desensitization and Immunotherapy in Primary Care
  • Economics of Managing Allergy in Primary Care: Billing, Coding & Compliance and Fee for Service vs. Value-Based Medicine approaches

• Have questions?

  For more information, please call 305-284-8841. Our enrollment advisors can answer any questions or schedule a meeting to discuss your goals and opportunities.

Disclosures: The planners and speakers for this activity disclosed no financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services have a direct bearing on the subject matter of these presentations.

Speaker(s):  Dr. Rivera-Mariana, Dr. Rizvi, Dr. Sanchez-Gonzalez, and Dr. Ahmed disclosed no financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services have a direct bearing on the subject matter of these presentations.  Dr. Pullen disclosed that he is a consultant to Medscience, Inc.

Accreditation Statement:
The activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Florida Medical Association and MDaedificare. The Florida Medical Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Florida Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 9.00 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.