This activity is supported by independent education grant(s) from Pfizer.

Series Summary

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a chronic disease associated with frequent hospitalizations. The overall impact of sickle cell disease-related morbidity is enormous with respect to health care utilization, financial strain on the health care system, career productivity, and quality of life. The care for hospitalized patients with SCD has been increasingly managed by hospitalists rather than adult hematology specialists. Quality and uniformity of care across clinical locations is often varied. Standardization of care may improve some outcomes for SCD patients.  Hospitalists may benefit from learning key evidence-based practices for treating and transitioning SCD patients out of the hospital.

This series is comprised of two educational modules on the presentation of SCD and how to best manage care and transitions of care for patients with SCD. They will better familiarize hospitalists with the disease, complications and strategies for effectively managing and co-managing the patient to improve outcomes. Learners will be able to apply this knowledge to modify practice, improve the patient experience, mitigate common symptoms and effectively transition the patient to home.

Goal

Learners will obtain baseline knowledge about SCD pathophysiology and complications associated with SCD allowing for more informed care decisions. Additionally, they will be better equipped to leverage hematologists and effectively co-manage hospitalized patients with SCD.

Target Audience

This series is intended for hospitalist.

Learning Objectives

After completing the modules, the participant should be able to:

• Provide a general overview of SCD, including pathophysiology of acute vaso-occlusion (VOC), symptoms and disease manifestations including acute and chronic pain
• Discuss the social determinants of health that affect patients with SCD
• Enhance familiarity of the common challenges hospitalists encounter in treating and managing patients with SCD
• Review evidence-based best practices that may inform a treatment pathway for usual care for SCD patients
• Identify the most appropriate strategies for enlisting interdisciplinary and coordinated team care for SCD patients
• Review evidence-based strategies for effective pain management in the SCD patient
• Identify effective strategies for creating successful transitions of care for the SCD patient

Accreditation Statement

The Society of Hospital Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, SHM requires that individuals in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. SHM mitigates all conflicts of interest to ensure independence, objectivity, balance, and scientific rigor in all its educational programs. All relevant financial relationships shall be disclosed to participants prior to the start of the activity.

Furthermore, SHM seeks to verify that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a continuing medical education (CME) activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. SHM is committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME activities that promote improvements in healthcare and not those of a commercial interest.