Lessons Learned From Quality Improvement Initiatives in Sickle Cell Disease

Hematologists are called upon to provide care for a growing number of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), often with little guidance as to what represents best practice. Add to that challenge the high expectations from insurers and hospitals as reimbursement shifts from fee-for-service to value-based models in which payments are tied to the quality of services delivered, as opposed to the volume. In this session, speakers will examine models of care for patients with SCD, focusing on what constitutes high-quality care and how to measure it.

Dr. Joshua Field will discuss five lessons that have led to a model of care for adults with SCD that uses an intensive management strategy and a systematic approach to opioids.

Dr. Jeffrey Glassberg will examine the care of patients with SCD in the emergency department, focusing on the implementation of guideline-adherent care that is gleaned from available literature and expert opinion.

Dr. John Strouse will discuss the measures that are available to determine the quality of health care delivery as well as the measures that have the potential to be successfully implemented in the field of SCD.