Monitoring disease activity of pollen allergies: What crowdsourced data are telling us

Background: Pollen allergies are a major public health concern worldwide. An IgE-mediated systemic inflammatory response to pollen allergens causes symptoms of allergic rhinitis or even asthma. They have a significant impact on individual quality of life and cause high socioeconomic strain. The aim of this study was to examine the value of pollen allergy-related web search data for public health. Methods: An in-depth analysis of search volumes and contents, and their correlation with factors of disease activity such as rates of dispensed medicine and pollen concentration, was conducted. In this retrospective longitudinal study, Google Ads Keyword Planner was used to determine the internet search volume of terms related to pollen allergies across Germany and Sweden as a whole and in each of the 16 German federal states and 21 Swedish provinces between January 2017 and December 2020. This search volume was converted into searches per 100,000 inhabitants and categorized qualitatively. Results: A total search volume of 7405 searches per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany and 17,592 searches per 100,000 inhabitants in Sweden was observed, with the total yearly search volume increasing continually in both countries during the study period. Regional search volume correlated with antihistamine dispensation rates (ρ = 0.848–0.960) and pollen concentration (ρ = 0.566–0.922). While overall search interest was higher in Sweden, a higher interest in treatment options was identified in Germany. Conclusion: Internet websearch data is an excellent proxy for disease activity of allergic rhinitis. In the 4-year study period, the interest in pollen allergies has increased and there are unmet medical needs in both countries

Impact of asthma in Europe: A comparison of web search data in 21 European countries

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways and one of the most important non-communicable diseases worldwide. Analyzing crowdsourced data can help understand public interest and unmet needs as well as potential factors influencing search behavior. Objective: The study aimed to investigate asthma-related web search data in Europe to identify possible regional and seasonal variations and to assess public interest. Methods: Google Ads Keyword Planner was used to measure search volume for search terms related to asthma, allergic asthma, and bronchial asthma in 21 European countries between January 2018 and December 2021. The top 10 keywords of each country were categorized qualitatively. Search volume per 100 000 inhabitants was descriptively assessed in terms of regional and seasonal trends. Spearman correlations between search volume and pollen concentration as well as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were investigated. Results: The median search volume per 100 000 inhabitants for asthma and allergic asthma was highest in Northern and Western Europe, while the highest search volume for bronchial asthma was observed in Western and Eastern regions. A seasonal trend was identified for all search terms and in all regions. Correlations were found between search frequency and pollen load and search behavior and COVID-19 cases. Overall, Europeans were most interested in the diseases in general, their treatment options, and symptoms. Conclusion: These results highlighted the need for reliable and region-specific information about the disease and for public campaigns to improve asthma control. The study also emphasizes the importance of using crowdsourced data for a more encompassing overview beyond conventional healthcare data