1. Eliminating Health Care Access and Quality Inequities in Sickle Cell Disease: Policy Lessons from the End Sepsis Initiative.
- Author
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Rivlin, Kenneth
- Subjects
HEALTH services accessibility ,IMMUNIZATION ,SICKLE cell anemia ,MEDICAL quality control ,DEATH ,PROFESSIONAL practice ,PERSONNEL management ,HEALTH policy ,RURAL hospitals ,MEDICAL societies ,PATIENT-centered care ,SEPSIS ,ELECTRONIC health records ,HEALTH equity ,EVIDENCE-based medicine ,REPORT writing ,SOCIAL support ,INSURANCE companies ,SOCIAL stigma ,PREVENTIVE health services ,TRANSITION to adulthood - Abstract
Sickle cell disease is a prime example of the devastating impact of healthcare inequities. The End Sepsis Initiative developed after a tragic death due to sepsis, provides a powerful model for the sickle cell community. This model recognizes the importance of evidence-based protocols and policy recommendations/mandates to drive transformative systems change. We propose that the sickle cell community mirror this approach. We propose that hospital systems, healthcare organizations, and insurers implement evidence-based protocols, including personalized pain plans, stigma reduction through staff training, vaccinations, preventative screening, disease-modifying therapies, pediatric to adult transition, and connecting unaffiliated SCD patients to a medical home. We recommend state-level interventions, such as using SCD navigator in electronic health records for quality reporting, supporting community health workers' use, and ensuring rural hospitals have access to SCD specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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