Open AccessPatient Perspectives of Sickle Cell Management in the Emergency Department
Author(s) -
Nancy Crego,
Rita Masese,
Emily Bonnabeau,
Christian Douglas,
Gary Rains,
Nirmish Shah,
Paula Tanabe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
critical care nursing quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1550-5111
pISSN - 0887-9303
DOI - 10.1097/cnq.0000000000000350
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , focus group , family medicine , sickle cell anemia , disease , pain management , psychiatry , physical therapy , marketing , business
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic blood disorder predominantly affecting African Americans in the United States. The objective of this study was to use a multimethods approach to describe how patients with SCD in North Carolina perceive the care they receive in emergency departments (EDs). Fourteen participants completed an interview (n = 10) or 2 focus groups (n = 2 per focus group) and 51 completed surveys. Sixty percent of participants with pain attack "very much" or "quite a bit" avoided going to the ED for care because of prior bad experiences and 50% of participants reported waiting 120 minutes or more in the ED for treatment of their sickle cell pain. Participants reported that stigma associated with provider perception of drug-seeking behavior is a persistent problem in the ED. Participant recommendations warrant further investigation to address persistent SCD quality-of-care concerns in the ED.