Sickle cell disease is a complex and difficult condition to manage. A recent study has identified several socio-economic barriers that add to the clinical challenges of sickle cell disease, impeding timely and effective care and driving up healthcare costs.
Introduction
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is often associated with complications that lead to higher than normal healthcare utilization rates. As a result, emergency department visits and hospitalizations increase significantly. Healthcare practitioners adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to provide the best possible care to SCD patients. This multi-disciplinary approach involves SCD specialists and aims to provide optimal preventive care and reduce complications and unnecessary emergency department visits. Unfortunately, most sickle cell patients receive a sub-optimal level of care. In this brief, we highlight the socio-environmental barriers which lead to such an unfortunate situation.
Socio-Economic Barriers to Care
Insurance is one of the key challenges associated with sickle cell disease, according to a recent study published in the journal, PLos One. High co-pays, limitations in providers’ coverage, narrow range of services, and complex paperwork were identified as some of the major insurance-related factors that have contributed to the sub-optimal level of care given to sickle cell disease patients.
Transportation barriers also surfaced as a major problem, which found that not only was the lack of reliable transportation a major problem, but increased transportation expenses and finding the right kind of transport for the patient’s needs were also identified as key barriers to care. Whether obtaining appointments easily or accessing clinics with convenient hours, sickle cell disease patients often face disappointment. Complex paperwork and procedural irregularities make life even tougher for patients suffering from this disease.
Keeping these challenges in mind, better measures must be taken to ensure optimal care is provided to these patients who are already in a lot of pain.
Final Thoughts
Sickle cell disease poses considerable healthcare challenges, incuding limited and poor coordination of services, provider inexperience and lack of knowledge, and an overarching lack of socio-economic insight into this disease. The authors cite the need for strategies to be developed at all levels, from individual to societal, to improve SCD care.
Reference
Phillips, S., Chen, Y., Masese, R., Noisette, L., Jordan, K., Jacobs, S., . . . Kanter, J. (2022). Perspectives of individuals with sickle cell disease on barriers to care. PloS One, 17(3), e0265342. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265342
