Improving Care for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: a Qualitative Study of Hospitalized Sickle Cell Patients
INTRODUCTION
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder that affects approximately 100,000 Americans.1 Acute pain episodes, or vaso-occlusive crises, account for approximately 70% of acute care visits for patients with SCD.1 Patients with SCD face unique obstacles to care, including difficulty communicating the severity of their pain and fear of being labeled as a “drug addict.”2 The combined annual cost of Emergency Department visits, Urgent Care visits, and hospitalizations for SCD has reached over $2.4 billion annually.3 In an effort to improve care for SCD patients who have required frequent readmission, we interviewed hospitalized SCD patients and asked for input on how our health system can better meet the needs of our SCD population.
METHODS
Adult SCD patients admitted to the inpatient medicine services at the University of Colorado Hospital between March 2017 and May 2018 were identified and approached for consent. Interviews were conducted by a professional...
Notes
Funding Information
This project was funded through the University of Colorado Excellence in Patient Safety (CEPS) Program.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.
References
- 1.Centers For Disease Control Website: http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssicklecell.
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- 4.Models of Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: An evidence synthesis. Website: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/care-high-need-high-cost-patients.