***Nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2024 ***

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Respiratory allergies are among the most common non-communicable diseases. They are the cause for high socio-economic costs. Allergy apps could help people to self-manage their allergies. For this reason, we are developing ‘PollDi’ - an allergy app for grass pollen allergy sufferers that aims to help them get through the pollen season better.

Increasing levels of pollen in the air exacerbate the symptoms of allergy sufferers and thus impair the quality of life of those affected. Our app focuses on basic features that enable better disease management. Via an easy-to-navigate interface, the user receives a display of the current pollen and air pollutant levels in the region and a pollen and air pollutant forecast for the next 2 days on their smartphone.
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Our app uses almost real-time data from the automatic pollen measuring devices available to us for the regions and a specially developed algorithm for the pollen count forecast. The modelling is realised in cooperation with Wetter.com. This is unique for allergy apps, as most forecasts are still based on measurement data from traditional pollen traps, where the pollen count is determined weekly by manual counting.
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It also provides monitoring and forecasts for the most relevant air pollutants such as PM10, NO2 and O3. This combination of pollutant and pollen forecasts is extremely valuable for users, as respiratory symptoms are multifactorial.
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They can also track their symptoms and behaviour in a symptom diary in order to identify risk factors and factors that exacerbate symptoms. The recorded data can be incorporated into the symptom prognosis. This is one of the app's particular strengths. We are planning to develop PollDi further in this respect, e.g. with tips on how to take medication more effectively. In addition, the app offers creatively prepared general information on allergies, e.g. in the first info sonnet about the disease written by ChatGPT.
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A reliable forecast of pollen and air pollutants, a symptom diary in which, for example, the severity and type of symptoms can be recorded, and creatively prepared general allergy-related information together proved to be helpful for the majority of our test subjects. The data entered by people themselves is used to derive personalised behavioural recommendations to help prevent severe symptom flare-ups and create climate resilience for people with allergies.

The daily data from the app can be used to create powerful symptom forecasts.?
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In order to prove the benefits of our app in terms of reducing symptoms and improving quality of life, we tested it in two clinical studies. (Holzmann et al., Lancet Digital Health, submitted). These were conducted in two environments (city vs. alpine foothills). In both locations, a measurable reduction in allergic symptoms and an increase in rhinitis-related quality of life was measured among users of the PollDi app (full version).
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You can find more information about our PollDi app in the following media articles:

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