A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Emergency Department Care for Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Conclusion

Implementation of a QI initiative in the ED has led to expeditious care for pediatric patients with SCD presenting with VOE. A multidisciplinary approach, ongoing staff education, and commitment to the initiative have been necessary to sustain the improvements. Our success can provide a template for other QI initiatives in the ED that translate to improved patient care for other diseases. A QI framework provided us with unique challenges but also invaluable lessons as we addressed our objective to improve outcomes for patients with SCD across the life course.

Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Theresa Freitas, RN, Lisa Hale, PNP, Carolyn Hoppe, MD, Ileana Mendez, RN, Helen Mitchell, Mary Rutherford, MD, Augusta Saulys, MD and the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Emergency Medicine Department and Sickle Cell Center for their support.

Corresponding author: Marsha Treadwell, PhD, Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, 747 52nd St, Oakland, CA 94609, mtreadwell@mail.cho.org.

Funding/support: This research was conducted as part of the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) Working to Improve Sickle Cell Healthcare (WISCH) project. Further support came from a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Project Grant No. U1EMC16492 and from NIH CTSA grant UL1 RR024131. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of WISCH, NICHQ, or HRSA.