The Allergy and Immunology Telephone Information Service (AITIS) is a "first phase" of a three year plan leading to a National Asthma, Allergy and Related Immunologic Diseases Information Center (NAARIDIC). The goal of the AITIS is to provide medical practitioners throughout the country with immediate access, via telephone, to specific information and consultation for diagnosis and/or treatment of problems found in clinical practice. The goal of NAARIDIC is to provide professionals, patients and the public with highly accessible, accurate information using "state-of-the-art" data maintenance and communications mechanisms involving a cooperative, well coordinated network of the appropriate service units of the NIAID (The Asthma and Allergy Disease Centers (AADC), and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunological Diseases (CIRID)), the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the AAFA Chapters and Community Service Programs, and the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology (AAAI) including the AAAI Education and Research Councils. The AITIS will be monitored by the Ad Hoc Task Force on the NAARIDIC, and the AITIS program will be integrated into the NAARIDIC system as the latter becomes operational. The need for the AITIS and NAARIDIC is predicated on the fact that there is no such effort now being made on behalf of the Nation's 35-million men, women and children who suffer the human and economic costs of asthma, allergy and related immunologic diseases. The information center concept has proven to be highly effective and beneficial for other disease entities. Planning participants in NAARIDIC represent the cooperation of government and private interests with expertise and commitment toward implementing this three year program for the public benefit and with the maximum cost effectiveness.