PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Gaps in transition from pediatric to adult care for individuals living with sickle cell disease associated with more hospital visits

Health and hospital systems can help pediatric patients transition to adult care to reduce inpatient hospital visits

2024-05-29
(Press-News.org) (WASHINGTON, May 29, 2024) – Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) who experience a delay of more than six months in transitioning from pediatric to adult care are twice as likely to be hospitalized compared to those who transition in less than two months, according to a study published in Blood Advances.

SCD is the most common inherited red blood cell disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 100,000 people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SCD affects one out of every 365 Black or African American births and one out of every 16,300 Hispanic American births. Current guidelines recommend that patients with SCD transfer from pediatric care to adult care within six months.

“There are a lot of barriers to transition. Patients may not be comfortable with their new providers and not know where to go, but a lot of those challenges are addressable,” said Kristen Howell, MPH, PhD, assistant professor at Texas A&M University. “These data show that if we can decrease that transfer gap, we’ll hopefully see improved health care and outcomes.”

Researchers examined 356 young adult patients with SCD who ended pediatric care between 2012 and 2018 at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and transferred to an adult SCD program at a partner institute. Approximately 88% of those studied transferred to adult health care within six months, with a median transfer time of 1.4 months. Those who transferred within six months had more outpatient pediatric and adult care visits compared to those who did not.

Young adults with transfer gaps of six months or longer were 1.89 times more likely to have had an inpatient hospital visit at two years of follow-up compared to those who transitioned in fewer than two months and had fewer outpatient visits in adult care. At eight years of follow-up, those who took more than six months to transition to adult care were 2.01 times more likely to have an inpatient visit.

“If these young adults are frequently visiting the hospital for acute reasons, it’s a pretty clear indicator that they are not doing well,” said Dr. Howell. “Having continuity of care can make a big difference, and that should be a goal for hospital systems.”

Dr. Howell noted that while barriers to transition may vary, and could include gaps in insurance coverage, gaps in how young adults understand their condition and medications, discomfort moving from a familiar facility to a new one, and potential institutional and practitioner bias. Per evidence-based guidelines, the researchers recommend beginning the process as early as age 12 and using care coordinators, or transition champions, to make the transition a smooth one.

There were a few limitations to the study, including the use of a small sample size of data from a single health care system. The researchers also excluded individuals who failed to transfer to adult care, and conclusions could not be drawn about the health care use of these patients. Further, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has a well-established transition program that may not be generalizable to other programs.

The researchers hope to expand their study to additional institutions to see if there are similar findings with a different population. Jane Hankins, MD, MS, director of the St. Jude Global Hematology Program, is leading efforts to evaluate St. Jude’s SCD transition program to identify which parts may be transferrable to other institutions hoping to establish or improve their own transition programs.

# # #

Additional Resources

The American Society of Hematology (ASH)’s Sickle Cell Disease Initiative aims to improve outcomes for individuals living with SCD through evidence-based research and clinical practices. ASH-led work that supports transitions from pediatric to adult care includes: 

Sickle Cell Disease Centers Workshop, which trains providers on how to establish clinical centers for SCD, including supporting pediatric transitions to care; The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act, legislation that will create Medicaid Health Homes to help support continuity of high-quality, comprehensive care; and The Sickle Cell Disease Learning Community, a network of clinical sites that uses data and the input of multiple stakeholders to develop strategies that will help patients transition from pediatric to adult care. Blood Advances (bloodadvances.org) is an online, open access journal publishing more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journal worldwide. Blood Advances is part of the Blood journals portfolio (bloodjournals.org) from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org). 

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

STEP Demo supercritical CO2 pilot plant generates electricity for the first time

STEP Demo supercritical CO2 pilot plant generates electricity for the first time
2024-05-29
SAN ANTONIO — May 29, 2024 —The Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo pilot plant has generated electricity for the first time using supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. The $169 million, 10-megawatt sCO2 facility at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio is demonstrating next-generation power production technology in a project led by GTI Energy in collaboration with SwRI, GE Vernova, the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory (U.S. DOE/NETL), and several industry participants. “The impact of demonstrating that the sCO2 technology works cannot be overstated,” said SwRI Project Manager Dr. Jeff ...

Risky path to meeting climate targets for Stockholm

Risky path to meeting climate targets for Stockholm
2024-05-29
The Swedish capital Stockholm aims to capture more carbon dioxide than is emitted by 2030. Therefore, the city is investing in new technology at a combined heat and power plant. But it is a strategy that has been adopted without sufficient discussion of the risks, says researchers at Linköping university, Sweden.  “Stockholm has a very ambitious climate policy. But there’s also been a kind of resignation. This new technology has appeared to offer the promise of a solution. And that’s perhaps why there’s been no critical discussion at all,” says researcher Alexander Olsson at the Department of Thematic ...

Longer freight trains have a higher risk of derailment, new study shows

2024-05-29
In February 2023, 38 cars from a 151-car, 9,300-foot-long freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to the release of hazardous materials that required the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents. In recent years, such longer and heavier freight trains have become more common, primarily driven by fuel efficiency, cost-savings, and emissions reduction measures in the railroad industry. New research in the journal Risk Analysis has confirmed that longer freight trains bring with them a higher risk of derailment. The study found that a 100-car train is more than twice as likely to experience a derailment than ...

The 2024 Global Food Policy Report stresses urgent need for transformative action to achieve sustainable healthy diets and improved nutrition

The 2024 Global Food Policy Report stresses urgent need for transformative action to achieve sustainable healthy diets and improved nutrition
2024-05-29
Washington DC, May 29, 2024: In the face of growing challenges posed by unhealthy diets, all forms of malnutrition, and environmental constraints, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) — released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) — underscores the importance of transforming complex global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for all. Progress in reducing undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies has slowed in low- and middle-income countries, while overweight and obesity has rapidly increased worldwide. Many countries ...

Electrochromic films — like sunglasses for your windows?

Electrochromic films — like sunglasses for your windows?
2024-05-29
Advances in electrochromic coatings may bring us closer to environmentally friendly ways to keep inside spaces cool. Like eyeglasses that darken to provide sun protection, the optical properties of these transparent films can be tuned with electricity to block out solar heat and light. Now, researchers in ACS Energy Letters report demonstrating a new electrochromic film design based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that quickly and reliably switch from transparent to glare-diminishing green to thermal-insulating red. Hongbo Xu and colleagues used MOFs in their electrochromic film because of the crystalline substances’ abilities to form thin ...

Chocolate’s tasty flavors might pose a risk in other desserts

2024-05-29
What makes chocolate taste and smell so delicious? Chemistry, of course! A variety of molecules work together to create that unmistakable aroma, but those same molecules might carry some unwanted health effects if there are too many around. According to research published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, while many of the compounds appeared in chocolate in low enough concentrations to be safe, higher amounts were found in some baked sweet treats. When making chocolate, cocoa beans are roasted to help their chocolatey flavors shine. During this process, new molecules ...

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Leon Levy Foundation Announce the 2024 Leon Levy Scholars in Neuroscience

2024-05-29
New York, NY, May 29, 2024 — The New York Academy of Sciences and the Leon Levy Foundation announced today the 2024 cohort of Leon Levy Scholars in Neuroscience, continuing a program initiated by the Foundation in 2009 that has supported 170 fellows in neuroscience. This highly regarded postdoctoral program supports exceptional young researchers across the five boroughs of New York City as they pursue innovative neuroscience research and advance their careers toward becoming independent principal investigators. Nine scholars were competitively selected for a three-year term from a broad pool of applications from more than a dozen ...

The once-welcomed Rohingya refugees now face hostility from the hosts in Bangladesh

The once-welcomed Rohingya refugees now face hostility from the hosts in Bangladesh
2024-05-29
The number of refugees has sharply increased in recent decades, reaching 37.8 million in 2022. Amidst this surge, host communities—locals residing in areas where refugee camps are situated—are also positively and negatively impacted by the refugee influxes. The negative impacts include competition over scarce resources and in the unskilled labor market. While the international media and aid organizations put the spotlight on assisting refugees, the challenges faced by host communities are frequently sidelined.   In 2017, over ...

Improving air quality increases forest fires 

2024-05-29
If we want cleaner air, fewer forest fires, and less severe climate change, a new UC Riverside study shows we must reduce aerosol pollution and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide at the same time.  The study found that boreal forests in the northern hemisphere are particularly vulnerable to negative effects of cleaning up aerosol pollution. This includes forests in Canada, Alaska, northern Europe, and northern Russia.  Aerosols are small particles like dust and sea salt as well as airborne chemicals produced by fossil fuel combustion. They are responsible for poor air quality. The UCR study, published in the journal ...

RNA inhibitor is shown safe and effective in reducing a wide range of cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood in Mount Sinai-led clinical trial

RNA inhibitor is shown safe and effective in reducing a wide range of cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood in Mount Sinai-led clinical trial
2024-05-29
A small interfering RNA (siRNA) investigational therapy that inhibits a gene involved in lipoprotein metabolism has been shown in a clinical trial led by Mount Sinai researchers to significantly reduce levels of different types of cholesterol and triglycerides in individuals with mixed hyperlipidemia, a condition in which fats build up in the blood. In addition to seeing promising preliminary results related to safety and efficacy in clinical trials, the Mount Sinai researchers found the RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapy zodasiran to be a potentially promising option for substantially reducing a number of atherogenic lipoproteins while requiring less frequent ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study

Traditional Chinese medicine combined with peginterferon α-2b in chronic hepatitis B

APS and SPR honor Dr. Wendy K. Chung with the 2026 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC) has launched the Variant Workbench

Yeast survives Martian conditions

Calcium could be key to solving stability issues in sodium-ion batteries

Can smoother surfaces prevent hydrogen embrittlement?

Heart rate changes predict depression treatment success with magnetic brain stimulation

Genetics pioneer transforms global depression research through multi-omics discoveries

MDMA psychiatric applications synthesized: Comprehensive review examines PTSD treatment and emerging therapeutic indications

Psychedelics offer new therapeutic framework for stress-related psychiatric disorders

Brain cell discoveries reshape understanding of psychiatric disorders

Mom’s voice boosts language-center development in preemies’ brains, study finds

Development of silicon ultrasound patch achieves both eco-friendliness and performance enhancement

Measles immunity 90% in BC’s Lower Mainland

Women’s brain regions may lose ability to synchronize after sexual assault

Quitting smoking, even late in life, linked to slower cognitive decline

Critical raw materials are a vital new currency; Europe’s e-waste is the vault

Anesthesiologist-led care helps hip-fracture patients get to surgery faster, with fewer complications

Two-dose recombinant shingles vaccine is effective even accounting for prior receipt of live shingles vaccine

Excessive daytime sleepiness may raise risk of cognitive problems after surgery

Flipping the switch on sperm motility offers new hope for male infertility

Twisting sound: Scientists discover a new way to control mechanical vibrations in metamaterial

Drip by drip: The hidden blueprint for stalagmite growth

mRNA therapy restores sperm production and fertility in mice

New way to weaken cancer cells could supercharge prostate cancer treatment

How sound—but not touch—shapes rhythm in the brain

Exploring the therapeutic potential of hypothermia

Research alert: Bioengineering breathes new life into failed cancer treatment

AI, health, and health care today and tomorrow – the JAMA Summit Report on artificial intelligence

[Press-News.org] Gaps in transition from pediatric to adult care for individuals living with sickle cell disease associated with more hospital visits
Health and hospital systems can help pediatric patients transition to adult care to reduce inpatient hospital visits