Health-Related Stigma in Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease

Health-related stigma is increasingly becoming a major public health issue that is receiving more attention. Young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for health-related stigmatization due to the many challenges of the disease. SCD includes the lifelong challenges of managing the chronic illness while accessing and navigating the health care system. The burdens of the disease can affect all aspects of the lives of individuals with SCD to include physiological, psychological, and social well-being. Although others may be involved in the process of stigmatization, the purpose of this paper was to support the need to develop patient-oriented interventions to prevent and treat health-related stigma in young adults with SCD, as these individuals may face health-related stigma throughout their lives, but especially immediately after transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Additionally, the Revised Theory of Self-Care Management for Sickle Cell Disease is offered as a framework from which theory-based interventions can be derived

Does Attendance at a Sickle Cell Educational Conference Improve Clinician Knowledge and Attitude Toward Patients with Sickle Cell Disease?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disease associated with both chronic pain and acute painful events referred to as vaso-occlusive crisis. Individuals suffer from a multitude of medical complications in addition to pain. Patients are often stigmatized as “drug-seeking” and receive inadequate pain management

Nurses' Attitudes Toward Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Worksite Comparison

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have reported being stigmatized when they seek care for pain. Nurse attitudes contribute to stigmatization and may affect patients' response to sickle cell cues, care-seeking, and ultimately patient outcomes

An Exploratory Path Model of the Relationships Between Positive and Negative Adaptation to Cancer on Quality of Life Among Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors

Adaptation is an ongoing, cognitive process with continuous appraisal of the cancer experience by the survivor. This exploratory study tested a path model examining the personal (demographic, disease, and psychosocial) characteristics associated with quality of life (QOL) and whether or not adaptation to living with cancer may mediate these effects

Does Attendance at a Sickle Cell Educational Conference Improve Clinician Knowledge and Attitude Toward Patients with Sickle Cell Disease?

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disease associated with both chronic pain and acute painful events referred to as vaso-occlusive crisis. Individuals suffer from a multitude of medical complications in addition to pain. Patients are often stigmatized as “drug-seeking” and receive inadequate pain management. AIM: The purpose of this study was to compare clinicians’ SCD knowledge and attitudes towards patients with SCD, before attending a two-day conference on SCD (T1), to immediately post-conference (T2), and 2 months post-conference (T3). DESIGN: A prospective, descriptive survey design was used. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: We administered surveys to assess SCD knowledge and clinicians’ attitudes towards patients with SCD at three time points: T1(N=59), T2 (N=38), and T3 (N=30). SCD knowledge was measured using a 20 item survey, and clinicians’ attitudes towards patients with SCD were measured with the General Perceptions about Sickle Cell Patients Scale which included items on four independent sub-scales: positive attitudes, negative attitudes, concern raising behaviors, and red-flag behaviors were administered. We compared changes in knowledge and attitudes scores between T1-T2 and T1-T3. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Overall, knowledge scores were significantly improved (p<0.001), as well as significantly increased between T1-T2 (p<0.0001), and T1-T3 (p = 0.01). Negative attitudes trended lower over the three time points (p=0.07), but a significant decrease in the negative attitudes score was only noted between T1-T3 (Z=−2.16.17, p=0.03). We conclude attendance at an educational SCD conference was an effective means to improve knowledge and decrease negative attitudes among clinicians. These differences were maintained at 2 months post-conference

Nurses' Attitudes Toward Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Worksite Comparison

BACKGROUND: Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have reported being stigmatized when they seek care for pain. Nurse attitudes contribute to stigmatization and may affect patients' response to sickle cell cues, care-seeking, and ultimately patient outcomes. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine if there are significant differences in nurse attitudes towards patients with SCD by worksite- medical-surgical units compared to emergency departments/intensive care units (ED/ICU). DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive comparative design. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 77 nurses (36 nurses from the ED/ICU and 41 nurses from medical-surgical units) who completed an anonymous online survey. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in attitudes by worksite with both sites having high levels of negative attitudes towards patients with SCD. Findings suggest that nurses from both worksites need additional education about SCD and care of this vulnerable, patient population