Outpatient Infusion Program for Sickle Cell Crises Addresses Health Care Inequity скачать в хорошем качестве

Outpatient Infusion Program for Sickle Cell Crises Addresses Health Care Inequity

During the pandemic, UC San Diego Health launched a same-day infusion program for patients with sickle cell disease in extreme pain. The outpatient program is an alternative to the emergency department. Sickle cell disease is a devastating inherited blood disorder that disproportionally affects individuals of African and Hispanic descent. Patients with the condition periodically experience excruciating pain when unhealthy red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to the chest, abdomen and joints. Over time, the lack of oxygen to organs and tissues causes permanent damage. “We developed a novel approach to caring for patients with sickle cell disease in medical crisis,” said Srila Gopal, MBBS, hematologist and medical director of the adult sickle cell program at UC San Diego Health. “For patients in sickle cell crisis, intense pain can be accompanied by anemia and infections leading to tissue damage and strokes. Unfortunately, these patients often face bias and discrimination from providers who incorrectly assume that requests for pain management are a 'drug seeking' behavior for opioids rather than a legitimate health emergency.” “Sickle cell disease is a disease of significant health care disparities,” said Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health. “Our team took the initiative to investigate the issue and to develop an effective telemedicine strategy and program to help patients receive patient-centered care in a timely fashion.” https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases... To learn more about the sickle cell program, visit: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/pages/de...