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Introduction There is a historic but persistent belief in haemophilia care that women do not suffer with the condition, they merely carry and transmit it. However, around 250 women worldwide are known to have factor levels within the severe to moderate haemophilia range ( Methods A single semi-structured qualitative interview was undertaken to explore the experiences of a young woman who has factor VIII levels of Results Four interlinked themes were identified: recognition, self-advocacy, identity and access to treatment. Conclusion This case study indicates that, despite recent attempts to improve the diagnostic nomenclature, women and girls with haemophilia continue to find it difficult to access similar levels of care to men and boys. As such, they may fail to achieve parity in terms of safety, integrity and wellbeing, and have a reduced quality of life. If women and girls affected by haemophilia are to receive levels of treatment comparable to men, diagnostic criteria need to change further. Focusing on genotype, levels of factor expressed and phenotypical presentation rather than biological sex will acknowledge and validate their experiences, and improve treatment for all people with haemophilia in the future.

Introduction Some clinicians believe that haemophilia B is associated with less bleeding than haemophilia A, yet there appears to be little difference in health-related outcomes. Current clinical practice reduces the risk of bleeds, making differences difficult to measure. We surveyed specialist haemophilia nurses to discern their opinions about the impact of haemophilia B compared to haemophilia A. Methods Between July and September 2020, European and Canadian nurses were invited to complete an online survey (25 questions) about perceptions of management and treatment of haemophilia B. Results Fifty-nine nurses (46 European, 13 Canadian) completed the survey. Bleeding was reported as different in haemophilia B by 37% of respondents, and treatment as different by over half. Opinions and experience around using extended half-life (EHL) products varied. Self-reported confidence in using EHL products was rated at a mean of 7.1 (range 3–10) with 47% believing these would remain the optimal treatment in 2025. Conclusion Some nurses believe haemophilia A and B are managed differently. Variations in experience and levels of confidence in the use of EHL products, combined with a belief that these products will remain an optimal treatment for haemophilia B for the next five years, indicates a need for education to promote confidence and competence.

Participants in clinical trials for new haemophilia treatments are routinely asked to complete quality of life (QoL) questionnaires using validated and disease-specific instruments. Yet too often in clinical research we know very little about the life stories of individuals, making it difficult to know how they have been affected by a new therapy and what exactly has changed for the better – or for the worse. In my own research, I wanted to understand the differences that new treatments are really making to people's everyday lives. While traditional QoL instruments can be helpful, using a qualitative approach that involves speaking directly with people with haemophilia (PwH) and their family members has enabled me find out what has really been going on their lives, including impacts on the wider family. The Covid pandemic and the need to maintain social distancing changed the way in which my research has been carried out, but in fact provided an opportunity to see an even bigger picture. I believe that using videoconferencing platforms to conduct interviews and focus groups has both allowed me to see more of the world in which the participants live and has enabled participants to be more relaxed and open in their conversations, resulting in a potentially richer dataset. While this approach to qualitative QoL research should not replace interviews and focus groups, the use of videoconferencing should be considered as another methodology researchers can and should use to enable them to glean the richest data possible. Qualitative interviews offer an important complementary addition to the validated QoL measures used in clinical trials, enabling us to hear more about where improvements have occurred, where further improvements can be made, and the real-life impact of a new treatment for PwH and their families.

Background: Guidance from the European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders (EAHAD) sets out the educational milestones haemophilia nurses should aim to achieve. However, little is known about the resources nurses use for education and current awareness. Aims: To assess the current educational level of haemophilia nurses, how and where they access ongoing education, where they feel they need extra support, and how best this teaching could be delivered. Methods: Haemophilia nurses in the Haemnet Horizons group devised and piloted a questionnaire. This was distributed in hard copy to nurses attending the 2019 EAHAD Congress and promoted as an online survey hosted by Survey Monkey. Results: Seventy-five replies were received from nurses in Europe (46 in the UK), and two from nurses in Chile and the Philippines. Most described their role as ‘specialist nurse’, with the majority having worked in haemophilia care for up to ten years. Half had a nursing degree and one quarter had a nursing diploma. Three quarters had attended at least one course specifically related to haemophilia nursing. Almost all used academic sources, study days and the websites of health profession organisations as information sources. Most also used Google or Wikipedia, but fewer used Twitter. Patient association websites were more popular among non-UK nurses. About half attended sponsored professional meetings and three quarters reported that educational meetings were available in their workplace. A clear majority preferred interactive and face-to-face activities using patient-focused content. Conclusions: The study shows that nurses, predominantly in Western Europe, access a range of educational resources, most of which are ‘traditional’. Use of online sources is high, but social media are less popular than Google or Wikipedia. Further research is needed to explore the potential of new media for haemophilia nurse education, and whether the current educational levels and needs highlighted in the survey remains the same across the whole of Europe.

Members of the multi-disciplinary team involved in delivering haemophilia care face a range of significant clinical and service leadership challenges. These include the developing treatment landscape, the drive towards individualised care, an uneven age structure among haemophilia nurses and constrained budgets. Faced with such challenges, the ASPIRE programme has been established to encourage and support a new generation of haemophilia leaders who are committed to improving haemophilia care across the UK, and beyond. The programme is open to healthcare professional from multiple disciplines, and is designed to support the development of a leadership community comprising members of the haemophilia care team in a way that contrasts with hierarchical leadership and management courses more typically found in the NHS.