Health Literacy in Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease

Executive Function and Processing Speed in Children Living with Sickle Cell Anemia

Executive function and processing speed difficulties are observed in children living with sickle cell anemia (SCA). The influence of processing speed on executive function is not well understood. We recruited 59 children living with SCA and 24 matched controls aged 8-18 years between 2010 and 2016 from clinics in the UK. Children completed tests in processing speed and cognitive flexibility, subdomains of executive function. MRI scans were conducted within one year of testing; oxygen saturation was obtained on the day of testing. Hemoglobin levels were obtained from medical records. Caregivers completed the executive function questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions found that hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, age, infarct status, and processing speed were not independent predictors for any model. However, for all cognitive flexibility tests, there was a significant interaction between infarct status and processing speed; children without silent cerebral infarction (SCI) with faster processing speed had better cognitive flexibility. Our findings indicate that, when interpreting executive function difficulties, it is important to account for the relationship between SCI status and processing speed. More research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms, but clinically, including executive function testing as part of clinic visits by embedding psychologists within the healthcare team would appear to be a critical step.

Health literacy correlates with abbreviated full-scale IQ in adolescent and young adults with sickle cell disease

INTRODUCTION

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic condition with progressive neurocognitive deficits. Health literacy (HL) is essential during adolescence and young adulthood, as the transition to adult care requires healthcare decisions. HL is known to be low in SCD; however, relation between general cognitive ability and HL has not been investigated.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included adolescent and yound adults (AYAs) with SCD from two institutions. Logistic regression measured the association between HL, measured by the Newest Vital Sign tool, and general cognitive ability, measured with abbreviated full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence.

RESULTS

Our cohort contained 93 participants at two sites: 47 (51%) at Memphis, TN and 46 (49%) at St. Louis, MO, ranging from ages 15-45 years (mean = 21 years) and with a majority (70%) possessing a high school education or greater. Only 40/93 participants (43%) had adequate HL. Lower abbreviated FSIQ (p < .0001) and younger age at assessment (p = .0003) were associated with inadequate HL. For every standard score point increase in abbreviated FSIQ, the odds of having adequate HL compared to limited or possibly limited HL increase by 1.142 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.019-1.322) and 1.116 (95% CI: 1.045-1.209), respectively, after adjusting for age, institution, income, and educational attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding and addressing HL is imperative in improving self-management and health outcomes. Among AYA with SCD, low HL was prevalent and influenced by abbreviated FSIQ. Routine screening for neurocognitive deficits and HL should be performed to guide development of interventions to adapt to the HL of AYA with SCD.

Health Literacy, Perceived Stigma, Self-Efficacy, and HRQOL in Sickle Cell Disease

Little is known about the relationships among self-efficacy, social determinants of health, and health outcomes in adults living with sickle cell disease (SCD). We conducted mediation analyses examining the relationships among health literacy, perceived stigma, self-efficacy, and health outcomes in an online cohort of adults living with SCD. The health outcomes explored were physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and pain interference; covariates included gender, disease severity, and depressive symptoms. Data came from a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 60 adults with SCD. Perceived stigma and self-efficacy had significant relationships with the study outcomes, while health literacy did not. Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between perceived stigma and physical HRQOL, when controlling for depressive symptoms. Future research should investigate the influence of stigma and self-efficacy on health outcomes in patients with SCD and consider stigma when creating interventions to modify self-efficacy.

Transitioning Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease From Pediatric to Adult Care: Results From a New Survey of Health Care Professionals

Transition from pediatric to adult care for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle cell disease (SCD) comes at a time when a range of biopsychosocial issues occur simultaneously. A new survey sought information from physicians who treat AYA with SCD about their practices in how they transition pediatric patients to adult care. An online survey to physicians who treat SCD was conducted using SurveyMonkey between November 2019 and January 2020. Of 209 physicians who were contacted, 58 completed the survey; 62.1% treated primarily pediatric patients and 37.9% treated adults. Patient education on transition was regarded as "important" or "very important" by 94.2% of the physicians. Patients' knowledge about their disease and their ability to navigate the health care system were identified as 2 primary barriers to transition (mean 1.30 and 1.67 on a 3-point scale, respectively). Most physicians employ established models to facilitate the transition, including Got Transition (41.3%) and a biopsychosocial model (34.8%), with 34.8% using a mix of models and 23.9% not using an established model. Fewer than half (34.8%) rated their program as "very successful" or "successful." Transition protocols from pediatric to adult care should be re-examined to facilitate successful transition for AYA with SCD.

Transition in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): A German Consensus Recommendation

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is considered a rare disease in Germany. Due to the increasing prevalence, the acute and chronic morbidities associated with the disease and the sharp increase in the mortality rate of young adults, a need-based transition structure for patients with SCD in Germany is explicitly required. This is the first multicenter German consensus statement addressing the importance of implementing a standardized transition guideline that allows adolescents and young adults to safely transition from pediatric to adult care. Early identification of medical needs and intervention remains important in the context of chronic diseases. Effective measures can improve health care in general, as they lead to a reduction in disease and the consequential economic burden. It is noteworthy that improving structural barriers remains a key challenge even in highly developed countries such as Germany. Inclusion of these transition services for patients with SCD into the regular care of chronically ill adolescents and young adults should be ensured, as well as the coverage of costs associated with a structured transition process.

Development and validation of assessments of adolescent health literacy: a Rasch measurement model approach

BACKGROUND

Health literacy (HL) is implicated in improved health decision-making and health promotion, and reduced racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities. Three major areas of HL include functional, interactive, and critical HL. HL skills develop throughout the lifespan as individuals' psychosocial and cognitive capacities develop and as they accumulate experiences with navigating health systems. Though adolescence is marked by increased involvement in health decision-making, most HL studies and measures of HL have focused on adults. Both the adult and adolescent HL literature are also limited by the paucity of validated test-based measures for assessing HL. The existing test-based validated HL measures for adolescents were originally designed for adults. However, adolescents are at an earlier phase of developing their HL skills (e.g., fewer experiences navigating the health system) compared to adults and measures originally designed for adults may assume prior knowledge that adolescents may lack therein underestimating adolescents' HL. This study developed and validated test-based assessments of adolescents' functional, interactive, and critical HL.

METHODS

Items were generated in an iterative process: focus groups with adolescents informed item content, cognitive interviews with adolescents and expert consultation established content and face validity of the initial items, and items were revised or removed where indicated. High school students (n = 355) completed a measurement battery including the revised HL items. The items were evaluated and validated using Rasch measurement models.

RESULTS

The final 6-item functional, 10-item interactive, and 7-item critical HL assessments and their composite (23 items) fit their respective Rasch models. Item-level invariance was established for gender (male vs. female), age (12-15-year-olds vs. 16-18-year-olds), and ethnicity in all assessments. The assessments had good convergent validity with an established measure of functional HL and scores on the assessments were positively related to reading instructions before taking medicine and questioning the truthfulness of health information found online.

CONCLUSIONS

These assessments are the first test-based measures of adolescents' interactive and critical HL, the first test-based measure of functional HL designed for adolescents, and the first composite test-based assessment of all three major areas of HL. These assessments should be used to inform strategies for improving adolescents' HL, decision-making, and behaviors.

Neurocognitive risk in sickle cell disease: Utilizing neuropsychology services to manage cognitive symptoms and functional limitations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that is associated with developmental delays and neurocognitive deficits. This review details key findings related to neurocognitive outcomes for children and adults with emphasis on the impact of neurological correlates and disease severity. Associations between neurocognition, demographic factors and social determinants of health are also reviewed. Emerging literature has reported on the neurocognitive impact of SCD in children and adolescents in Africa and Europe, including children from immigrant communities. Neurocognitive deficits are linked to poor functional outcomes, including transition from paediatric to adult care, medication adherence and unemployment. Integrating neuropsychology into multidisciplinary care for individuals with SCD can assist with identification and management of neurocognitive concerns, intervention development, individualized care plan development and continued multidisciplinary research.

A Health Literate Approach to Address Health Disparities: a Virtual Program for Parents of Children with Sickle Cell Trait

Background

Approximately 8% of African Americans born annually have sickle cell trait (SCT), a public health concern that may contribute to health disparities if individuals with SCT do not know it and lack access to understandable information about reproductive implications. Pre-pandemic, Ohio offered in-person SCT education for parents of SCT-affected children but many did not attend. Those with limited health literacy (HL) were less likely to achieve high knowledge. We used a HL-focused evaluation of this education to develop a virtual program (SCTaware) to communicate clear, actionable information and promote knowledge retention.

Methods

Seven English-speaking parents, three with limited HL, were recruited in 2019 for in-person session videotaping and SCT knowledge assessments. Clinicians, HL experts, educators, genetic counselors, and parent stakeholders (evaluators) reviewed sessions, assessments, and accompanying visuals.

Results

Evaluators: observed parents asked few questions; noted undefined technical terms, closed questions, key concept omission, and limited explanation of visuals scoring low for understandability, actionability, and clarity; and developed SCTaware for individual videoconference delivery (knowledge objectives; plain language guide; HL-informed communication strategies; new visuals scoring highly for understandability, actionability, and clarity; narrated post-education version; standardized educator training).

Conclusions

Using a HL-focused evaluation, our diverse team created a promising virtual SCT education program addressing a common issue affecting populations at risk for disparities. Given virtual education will likely continue post-pandemic and limited HL is common, this approach may be essential and replicable for other public health education programs, especially those transitioning to virtual formats, to convey clear, actionable information and promote health equity.

Chronic pediatric diseases and risk for reading difficulties: a narrative review with recommendations

Literacy is a major social determinant of health, rooted in skills that develop during early childhood. Children arriving at kindergarten unprepared to learn to read are more likely to have low reading proficiency thereafter. General and health literacy are highly correlated, affecting understanding of health conditions, treatment adherence, and transition to self-care and adult healthcare services. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends literacy and school readiness promotion during well-visits and neurodevelopmental surveillance is emphasized across primary and subspecialty care. While genetic and environmental risk factors for reading difficulties are well-established, risks related to complex and chronic medical conditions are less appreciated and under-researched. This review applies an eco-bio-developmental framework to explore literacy across five complex chronic conditions affecting millions of children worldwide: asthma, cancer, congenital heart disease, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease. In each, integration of an efficient reading brain network may be impacted by direct factors, such as ischemia, anesthesia, and/or medications, and also indirect factors, such as altered parent-child routines, hospital stays, and missed school. By integrating literacy into care management plans for affected children, pediatric primary care and specialty providers are poised to identify risks early, target guidance and interventions, and improve academic and health outcomes. IMPACT: While genetic and environmental risk factors for reading difficulties are well-established, risks related to complex and/or chronic medical conditions such as asthma, cancer, congenital heart disease, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease are substantial, less appreciated, and under-researched. General and health literacy are highly correlated, with implications for the understanding one's health condition, treatment adherence, and transitioning to self-care, which is especially important for children with complex and/or chronic illness. Pediatric primary care and specialty providers are poised to integrate reading and literacy into care management plans for children with complex and/or chronic illness, including early screening, guidance, support, and interventions.

Toward a Conversational Agent to Support the Self-Management of Adults and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Usability and Usefulness Study

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic blood disorder in the world and affects millions of people. With aging, patients encounter an increasing number of comorbidities that can be acute, chronic, and potentially lethal (e.g., pain, multiple organ damages, lung disease). Comprehensive and preventive care for adults with SCD faces disparities (e.g., shortage of well-trained providers). Consequently, many patients do not receive adequate treatment, as outlined by evidence-based guidelines, and suffer from mistrust, stigmatization or neglect. Thus, adult patients often avoid necessary care, seek treatment only as a last resort, and rely on self-management to maintain control over the course of the disease. Hopefully, self-management positively impacts health outcomes. However, few patients possess the required skills (e.g., disease-specific knowledge, self-efficacy), and many lack motivation for effective self-care. Health coaching has emerged as a new approach to enhance patients' self-management and support health behavior changes. Recent studies have demonstrated that conversational agents (chatbots) could effectively support chronic patients' self-management needs, improve self-efficacy, encourage behavior changes, and reduce disease-severity. To date, the use of chatbots to support SCD self-management remains largely under-researched. Consequently, we developed a high-fidelity prototype of a fully automated health coaching chatbot, following patient-important requirements and preferences collected during our previous work. We recruited a small convenience sample of adults with SCD to examine the usability and perceived usefulness of the system. Participants completed a post-test survey using the System Usability Scale and the Usefulness Scale for Patient Information Material questionnaire. Thirty-three patients participated. The majority (64%) was affected by the most clinically severe SCD genotypes (Hb SS, HbSβ0). Most participants (94%) rated the chatbots as easy and fun to use, while 88% perceived it as useful support for patient empowerment. In the qualitative phase, 72% of participants expressed their enthusiasm using the chatbot, and 82% emphasized its ability to improve their knowledge about self-management. Findings suggest that chatbots could be used to promote the acquisition of recommended health behaviors and self-care practices related to the prevention of the main symptoms of SCD. Further work is needed to refine the system, and to assess clinical validity.

The health literacy disparity in adolescents with sickle cell disease

PURPOSE

There are over 100,000 individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States, most of whom are Black, poor, and publically insured. In combination with a chronic illness, these demographics lead to significant barriers to healthcare for patients with SCD, leaving them exceptionally vulnerable within the healthcare system. This unique vulnerability is especially notable when transitioning adolescents with SCD from pediatric to adult care, as this is a significant time of morbidity and mortality for these patients. It is postulated that health literacy influences transition from pediatric to adult care in adolescents with SCD. To better understand this relationship, more adolescent health literacy research must be conducted with both adolescents with and without SCD. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to systematically compare health literacy in adolescents with and without SCD.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory study. One hundred and thirty-four adolescents with SCD and 105 adolescents without SCD were recruited for this study. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) health literacy instrument was used to evaluate health literacy. Pearson correlations were conducted to evaluate relationships among health literacy and the influencing factors of age, grade level, income, and parental education level. Differences in NVS scores between groups were assessed using independent samples t tests.

RESULTS

There was a significant relationship between health literacy, age (r = .286, p < .01) and grade level (r = .317, p = .00) in adolescents with SCD. In adolescents without SCD, there was a significant relationship between health literacy, income (r = .235; p < .05) and parental education (r = .263; p < .01). The mean NVS score was 2.66 for adolescents with SCD and 3.77 for adolescents without SCD. A statistically significant difference in NVS scores was found between groups (t = 4.772; p < .001). Adolescents with SCD demonstrated significantly lower NVS scores than adolescents without SCD.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

There are significant differences in health literacy scores and influencing factors in adolescents with and without SCD. Thus, this article provides unique insight for nurses as they design, implement and evaluate health promotion, patient education, and future research initiatives for adolescents and families, both with and without SCD. Further research is needed to gain more insight into this phenomenon.

Health Literacy Does Not Protect Against Underage Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Limited health literacy (HL) and alcohol use increase teens' risk for preventable disease burden and adverse outcomes. In the current study, relationships between HL and alcohol use were explored in 39 secondary school students sheltering-at-home during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. HL was assessed using the Newest Vital Sign. Alcohol use was assessed with questions from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Most students (76.9%) had adequate HL. Males had higher HL than females. Many teens (42.9%) reported drinking and recent alcohol use (18.2%). Drunk driving and riding with someone under the influence were comparable to the YRBS. Lifetime and recent alcohol use and positive alcohol expectancies were comparable among teens with adequate and limited HL. More teens with adequate HL had negative expectancies. Only teens with adequate HL reported recent binge drinking (10.3%), drunk driving (10.5%), or riding with someone under the influence (17.9%). Adequate HL does not protect teens from alcohol use and misuse. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(12), 13-21.].

Intentional and unintentional nonadherence to hydroxyurea among people with sickle cell disease: a qualitative study

Hydroxyurea is an efficacious treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD), but adoption is low among individuals with SCD. The objective of this study was to examine barriers to patients' adherence to hydroxyurea use regimens by using the intentional and unintentional medication nonadherence framework. We interviewed individuals with SCD age 15 to 49.9 years who were participants in the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) Needs Assessment. The intentional and unintentional medication nonadherence framework explains barriers to using hydroxyurea and adds granularity to the understanding of medication adherence barriers unique to the SCD population. In total, 90 semi-structured interviews were completed across 5 of the 8 SCDIC sites. Among interviewed participants, 57.8% (n = 52) were currently taking hydroxyurea, 28.9% (n = 26) were former hydroxyurea users at the time of the interview, and 13.3% (n = 12) had never used hydroxyurea but were familiar with the medication. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we discovered important themes that contributed to nonadherence to hydroxyurea, which were categorized under unintentional (eg, Forgetfulness, External Influencers) and intentional (Negative Perceptions of Hydroxyurea, Aversion to Taking Any Medications) nonadherence types. Participants more frequently endorsed adherence barriers that fell into the unintentional nonadherence type (70%) vs intentional nonadherence type (30%). Results from this study will help SCD health care providers understand patient choices and decisions as being either unintentional or intentional, guide tailored clinical discussions regarding hydroxyurea therapy, and develop specific, more nuanced interventions to address nonadherence factors.

The Influence of Health-Seeking Behaviors on the Health Literacy of Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease

Background: Health literacy may influence the transition from pediatric care to adult care in adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is postulated that one influencing factor of health literacy in adolescents with SCD is health-seeking behavior. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to explore health-seeking behaviors of adolescents with SCD and (2) to determine if there are significant differences in health literacy levels of adolescents with SCD based upon health-seeking behaviors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study evaluating health-seeking behaviors and health literacy in 110 Black and non-Hispanic adolescents with SCD. Convenience sampling was utilized for recruitment. The inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of one of the four primary genotypes of SCD and age of 10-19 years. Health literacy was evaluated using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Frequencies and percentages were calculated for all variables. Independent Samples t-tests were conducted to evaluate differences in health literacy scores based upon differing health-seeking behaviors. Results: The mean age of participants was 14.8 years (SD = 2.2). The mean NVS score was 2.7 (SD = 1.6). The two most common responses to "where do you go FIRST for health information?" were the Internet (29.6%; n = 40) and health care providers (27.4%; n = 37). There was no statistical difference in NVS scores between adolescents using the Internet versus health care providers as their first source of health information (t[75] = - .12; p = .22). Discussion: Knowledge of health-seeking behaviors and health literacy in adolescents with SCD gives insight into the design and evaluation of future interventions to improve health and health literacy in this population.

Cognitive performance as a predictor of healthcare transition in sickle cell disease

Neurocognitive deficits in sickle cell disease (SCD) may impair adult care engagement. We investigated the relationship between neurocognitive functioning and socio-environmental factors with healthcare transition outcomes. Adolescents aged 15-18 years who had neurocognitive testing and completed a visit with an adult provider were included. Transition outcomes included transfer interval from paediatric to adult care and retention in adult care at 12 and 24 months. Eighty adolescents (59% male, 64% HbSS/HbSβ⁰ -thalassaemia) were included. Mean age at adult care transfer was 18·0 (±0·3) years and transfer interval was 2·0 (±2·3) months. Higher IQ (P = 0·02; P_FDR  = 0·05) and higher verbal comprehension (P = 0·008; P_FDR  = 0·024) were associated with <2 and <6 month transfer intervals respectively. Better performance on measures of attention was associated with higher adult care retention at 12 and 24 months (P = 0·009; P_FDR  = 0·05 and P = 0·04; P_FDR  = 0·12 respectively). Transfer intervals <6 months were associated with smaller households (P = 0·02; P_FDR  = 0·06) and households with fewer children (P = 0·02; P_FDR  = 0·06). Having a working parent was associated with less retention in adult care at 12 and 24 months (P = 0·01; P = 0·02 respectively). Lower IQ, verbal comprehension, attention difficulties and environmental factors may negatively impact transition outcomes. Neurocognitive function should be considered in transition planning for youth with SCD.

Health Literacy of Adolescents

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to describe influencing factors of adolescent health literacy.

METHODS

This study is a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study. Based on an a priori power analysis and utilizing convenience sampling, 105 adolescents completed the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) health literacy instrument via the Qualtrics online platform. Health literacy was correlated with potential influencing factors to determine relationships between variables.

RESULTS

The mean NVS score was 3.78 (SD = 1.96), indicating possible limited health literacy in this population. There was a moderate, positive correlation between adolescent health literacy and race (r = 0.34, p = .00), with non-white adolescents scoring lower than white adolescents. There was a moderate, positive correlation between adolescent health literacy and income (r = 0.24, p < .05). There were no statistically significant correlations between adolescent health literacy and age or grade level. Regression analysis showed that the overall model accounts for a significant amount of the variance in health literacy scores (F (2, 95) =7.99, p = .001; R² = 0.144; R²_adjusted = 0.126). Race was the only variable that significantly contributed to the model (β = 1.26; SE(β) = 0.40; Standardized β = 0.30, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to the paucity of adolescent health literacy literature. Furthermore, this study indicates that race and income may play significant roles in adolescent health literacy. Future research is needed to further investigate influencing factors of adolescent health literacy.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This article provides unique information for nurses to consider alongside other individualized assessments as they continue to design health promotion and patient education practices for adolescents.

Development of the InCharge Health Mobile App to Improve Adherence to Hydroxyurea in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease: User-Centered Design Approach

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder causing acute complications and chronic progressive end organ damage. SCD is associated with significant morbidity, early mortality, impaired health-related quality of life, and increased acute health care utilization. Hydroxyurea is a US Food and Drug Administration–approved medication that reduces disease complications, acute health care utilization, and costs. However, adherence to hydroxyurea is suboptimal. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to improve hydroxyurea adherence, but few examples exist that are specific to the SCD population.

Objective

This study aimed to design a mHealth intervention for individuals with SCD to improve adherence to hydroxyurea, using a user-centered design that was informed by specific barriers to hydroxyurea adherence and utilization in this population.

Methods

This study consisted of 4 phases. In phase 1, individuals with SCD and health care providers participated in an optimization digital workshop. In phase 2, patients completed surveys pertaining to their interest in mHealth use, barriers and facilitators to hydroxyurea use, and health literacy. Phases 3 and 4 involved semistructured interviews and focus groups, respectively, and used the Health Belief Model (HBM) as the framework to investigate drivers of poor hydroxyurea adherence and to inform the development of an app prototype. In addition, in phase 4, we have incorporated the patients’ feedback on the preliminary app prototype and its features.

Results

Barriers to hydroxyurea adherence were consistent with the literature and included forgetfulness and several specific thoughts and emotions associated with hydroxyurea use (eg, fear of side effects, depression, stigma, and hopelessness). In addition, more than half of the participants reported potentially low health literacy. Preferred patient app features included 7 key components, namely (1) medication reminders and tracker, (2) disease education, (3) communication, (4) personalization, (5) motivation, (6) support during pain episodes, and (7) social support. Utilizing a user-centered design approach, data obtained from patients and providers were translated into features within the app, mapping to components of the HBM and the specific drivers of hydroxyurea adherence and matching the literacy level of the population, resulting in the development of a novel mobile app called InCharge Health.

Conclusions

The InCharge Health app is an mHealth intervention developed with substantial input from users and by mapping the HBM as the framework that guided the choice for its components. InCharge Health is a customized product for the SCD population aimed at optimizing medication adherence, with the end goal of improving quality of life and health outcomes among patients with SCD. The efficacy and implementation of the InCharge Health app as an mHealth intervention to promote hydroxyurea adherence will be tested in a future stepped-wedge multicenter trial for adolescents and adults with SCD.

Health literacy in adolescents with sickle cell disease: The influence of caregiver health literacy

PURPOSE

After patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) transfer from pediatric care to adult care, significant morbidity and mortality occurs. There are many possible contributors to the success or failure of this transition. One hypothesis is that health literacy influences this transition from pediatric to adult health care. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the relationship between caregiver and adolescent health literacy levels in adolescents with SCD; and (b) to further describe individual traits contributing to health literacy levels in adolescents with SCD as described by pilot data.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study included the administration of the newest vital sign (NVS) health literacy instrument to 59 dyads of adolescent patients with SCD and their caregivers in a large, tertiary care center in Dallas, Texas. Convenience sampling was utilized for recruitment. Caregiver health literacy levels, age, current grade level, annual household income, caregiver education level, number of annual healthcare encounters, and adolescent health literacy levels were correlated to determine relationships amongst variables.

RESULTS

There was no significant relationship between caregiver and adolescent health literacy levels in this population. Adolescent health literacy NVS scores were positively correlated with adolescent age, r(58) = .468, p < .001, caregiver income, r(46) = .293, p = .023, and caregiver highest education level, r(56) = .318, p = .008. Only adolescent age was a significant predictor of adolescent health literacy NVS scores, β = .485 (standard error [SE] = .109), p = .001. None of the other predictors in the model were significant, including the relationship between caregiver and adolescent health literacy NVS scores, β = .065 (SE = .131), p = .633. In addition, although caregiver income and highest education level were positively correlated with adolescent health literacy NVS scores in the bivariate analysis, these relationships were nonsignificant while controlling for each other, adolescent age, and the other variables in the model.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study gives insight on potential practice and research initiatives to evaluate the health literacy of adolescents, with and without SCD, both now and in the future.

Designing a Multistakeholder Collaboration to Improve Preventive Care for Children With Sickle Cell Anemia

Newly developed measures of health care quality for children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) have revealed significant performance gaps in recommended care. Historically, health systems, Medicaid health plans, and state Medicaid programs have not partnered with patients and families to improve SCA care delivery. We organized 2 novel multistakeholder design meetings to identify potential interventions to deliver high-quality preventive care for children with SCA. Invitees included patients with SCA, families, and representatives from pediatric hematology clinics, Medicaid health plans, community organizations, and a state Medicaid program. Participants identified some barriers to care through presentations and facilitated discussions. Over 35 potential interventions and 6 drivers of high-quality SCA preventive care delivery were organized into a key driver diagram. Many barriers to SCA care delivery could be addressed by Medicaid health plan resources to support members with chronic disease; however, these resources are infrequently used in the pediatric SCA population. Bridging gaps between stakeholder groups identified many potential interventions to improve SCA preventive care delivery at all levels of the health care system. Similar multistakeholder discussions may be useful for other communities interested in improving preventive care for children with SCA or other chronic pediatric diseases.

A program of transition to adult care for sickle cell disease

Most children with sickle cell disease (SCD) today survive into adulthood. Among emerging adults, there is a marked increase in acute care utilization and a rise in mortality, which can be exacerbated by not establishing or remaining in adult care. Health care transition programs are therefore essential to prepare, transfer, and integrate emerging adults in the adult care setting. The Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition, created by the Center for Health Care Transition Improvement, define the basic components of health care transition support as follows: (1) transition policy, (2) tracking and monitoring progress, (3) assessing transition readiness, (4) planning for adult care, (5) transferring to adult care, and (6) integrating into adult care. Programs that implement the Six Core Elements have experienced significant declines in care abandonment during adolescence and young adulthood and higher early adult care engagement. Most of the core transition activities are not currently reimbursable, however, posing a challenge to sustain transition programs. Ongoing studies are investigating interventions in comparative effectiveness trials to improve health-related quality of life and reduce acute care utilization among emerging adults with SCD. Although these studies will identify best practices for health care transition, it is also important to define how the transition outcomes will be measured, as no consensus definition exists for successful health care transition in SCD. Future research is needed to define best practices for health care transition, systematically assess transition outcomes, and revise payment models to promote sustainability of health care transition programs.

Poor Performance of Children Age 7 to 13 Years on the Newest Vital Sign

Valid and reliable instruments are needed to assess health literacy in children. Although the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) has been well established for use in adults, reports of its use in children have only recently received attention in the literature. Whereas some researchers have reported successful use of the NVS in children as young as age 7 years, others have suggested it is best used in children age 10 years and older. This analysis reports on the performance of the NVS in children age 7 to 13 years, adding to the growing evidence related to the use of the NVS in pediatric populations. Overall, children in this sample performed poorly on the NVS, which refutes previous reports. Differences in child samples and NVS administration procedures may provide some explanation for the lower-than-anticipated NVS performance in this sample. Interpreting the NVS based on educational standards and expectations may provide additional information to determine age-appropriate recommendations for NVS use in children. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2018;2(4):e175–e179.]

Health literacy and knowledge of chronic transfusion therapy in adolescents with sickle cell disease and caregivers

BACKGROUND

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may require chronic transfusion therapy (CTT) for prevention of stroke or other complications. Limited health literacy (HL) is common and is associated with poor health-related knowledge and outcomes in chronic disease. We sought to assess HL and transfusion knowledge in patients with SCD on CTT and their caregivers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of patients was conducted in outpatient hematology clinics. Forty-five pairs of adolescent patients and caregivers and 20 caregivers of pre-adolescent patients completed the Newest Vital Sign HL assessment and answered questions assessing SCD and transfusion knowledge. Community-level median income and unemployment rates were estimated from Census data. We computed the correlation of HL with knowledge and compared each to Census variables, payor status, educational attainment, and stroke.

RESULTS

HL was inadequate in 22 (34%) caregivers and 31 (69%) adolescents. Adequate caregiver HL was associated with higher educational attainment but not community-level socioeconomics or payor status. Mean knowledge score was lower in adolescents than in caregivers and correlated with age in adolescents (r = 0.42, P = .004). HL correlated with knowledge (r = 0.46, P < .0001). There were no significant correlations of HL or knowledge between adolescents and their caregivers. Neither HL nor knowledge was associated with prior stroke. The greatest knowledge was demonstrated for iron overload and SCD genotype, whereas knowledge gaps existed in alloimmunization, indication for CTT, and SCD curative therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Enhanced educational resources in transfusion therapy, alloimmunization, and curative therapy are needed for patients with SCD and caregivers of all HL levels.