Quality of life among children with sickle cell disease receiving chronic transfusion therapy

A meta-ethnography of how children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience and understand their condition, pain services, and treatments

BACKGROUND

Chronic non-cancer pain in childhood is widespread, affecting 20% to 35% of children and young people worldwide. For a sizeable number of children, chronic non-cancer pain has considerable negative impacts on their lives and quality of life, and leads to increased use of healthcare services and medication. In many countries, there are few services for managing children's chronic non-cancer pain, with many services being inadequate. Fourteen Cochrane Reviews assessing the effects of pharmacological, psychological, psychosocial, dietary or physical activity interventions for managing children's chronic non-cancer pain identified a lack of high-quality evidence to inform pain management. To design and deliver services and interventions that meet the needs of patients and their families, we need to understand how children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience pain, their views of services and treatments for chronic pain, and which outcomes are important to them.

OBJECTIVES

1. To synthesise qualitative studies that examine the experiences and perceptions of children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families regarding chronic non-cancer pain, treatments and services to inform the design and delivery of health and social care services, interventions and future research. 2. To explore whether our review findings help to explain the results of Cochrane Reviews of intervention effects of treatments for children's chronic non-cancer pain. 3. To determine if programme theories and outcomes of interventions match children and their families' views of desired treatments and outcomes. 4. To use our findings to inform the selection and design of patient-reported outcome measures for use in chronic non-cancer pain studies and interventions and care provision to children and their families. The review questions are: 1. How do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families conceptualise chronic pain? 2. How do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families live with chronic pain? 3. What do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families think of how health and social care services respond to and manage their child's chronic pain? 4. What do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families conceptualise as 'good' chronic pain management and what do they want to achieve from chronic pain management interventions and services?

SEARCH METHODS

Review strategy: we comprehensively searched 12 bibliographic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and grey literature sources, and conducted supplementary searches in 2020. We updated the database searches in September 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

To identify published and unpublished qualitative research with children aged 3 months to 18 years with chronic non-cancer pain and their families focusing on their perceptions, experiences and views of chronic pain, services and treatments. The final inclusion criteria were agreed with a patient and public involvement group of children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis using meta-ethnography, a seven-phase, systematic, interpretive, inductive methodology that takes into account the contexts and meanings of the original studies. We assessed the richness of eligible studies and purposively sampled rich studies ensuring they addressed the review questions. Cochrane Qualitative Methods Implementation Group guidance guided sampling. We assessed the methodological limitations of studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. We extracted data on study aims, focus, characteristics and conceptual findings from study reports using NVivo software. We compared these study data to determine how the studies related to one another and grouped studies by pain conditions for synthesis. We used meta-ethnography to synthesise each group of studies separately before synthesising them all together. Analysis and interpretation of studies involved children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families and has resulted in theory to inform service design and delivery. Sampling, organising studies for synthesis, and analysis and interpretation involved our patient and public involvement group who contributed throughout the conduct of the review. We used the GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach to assess our confidence in each review finding. We used a matrix approach to integrate our findings with existing Cochrane Reviews on treatment effectiveness for children's chronic non-cancer pain.

MAIN RESULTS

We synthesised 43 studies sampled from 170 eligible studies reported in 182 publications. Included studies involved 633 participants. GRADE-CERQual assessments of findings were mostly high (n = 21, 58%) or moderate (n = 12, 33%) confidence with three (8%) low or very low confidence. Poorly managed, moderate or severe chronic non-cancer pain had profound adverse impacts on family dynamics and relationships; family members' emotions, well-being, autonomy and sense of self-identity; parenting strategies; friendships and socialising; children's education and future employment prospects; and parental employment. Most children and parents understood chronic non-cancer pain as having an underlying biological cause and wanted curative treatment. However, families had difficulties seeking and obtaining support from health services to manage their child's pain and its impacts. Children and parents felt that healthcare professionals did not always listen to their experiences and expertise, or believe the child's pain. Some families repeatedly visited health services seeking a diagnosis and cure. Over time, some children and families gave up hope of effective treatment. Outcomes measured within trials and Cochrane Reviews of intervention effects did not include some outcomes of importance to children and families, including impacts of pain on the whole family and absence of pain. Cochrane Reviews have mainly neglected a holistic biopsychosocial approach, which specifies the interrelatedness of biological, psychological and social aspects of illness, when selecting outcome measures and considering how chronic pain management interventions work.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We had high or moderate confidence in the evidence contributing to most review findings. Further research, especially into families' experiences of treatments and services, could strengthen the evidence for low or very low confidence findings. Future research should also explore families' experiences in low- to middle-income contexts; of pain treatments including opioid use in children, which remains controversial; and of social care services. We need development and testing of family-centred interventions and services acceptable to families. Future trials of children's chronic non-cancer pain interventions should include family-centred outcomes.

A qualitative exploration of health-related quality of life and health behaviours in children with sickle cell disease and healthy siblings

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and health behaviours of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and healthy siblings, drawing on Gap theory, which suggests HRQL is the discrepancy between current and ideal selves.

DESIGN

Thirty-two interviews, facilitated by children's drawings of their current and ideal selves were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Two themes were identified. First, limitations of SCD and adjusted expectations. Children with SCD report some discrepancy in HRQL as they would like to participate in more physical activity, but overall, they appear to have normalised their condition and adjusted their expectations in the context of the limits of their condition. Healthy siblings worry about their sibling and have greater expectations about engaging in adventurous activities and for their future. Second, coping with SCD. Children have limited social support, although children with SCD seek support from their mothers. They also modify health behaviours, like reducing exercise to help prevent and cope with sickle-related pain.

CONCLUSION

Children have some discrepancies in their HRQL but adjusted expectations among children with SCD may reduce discrepancy. Adapting health behaviours may help to cope with SCD but it is important that reductions in physical activity do not impair HRQL.

Barriers and Facilitators to Chronic Red Cell Transfusion Therapy in Pediatric Sickle Cell Anemia

Background: Chronic red cell transfusion (CRCT) therapy is one of a few effective disease-modifying therapies for children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). CRCT is recommended for primary and secondary stroke prevention for at-risk children with SCA and is sometimes used for other disease-related complications. However, CRCT can be resource- and time-intensive for patients/families, providers, and organizations. This study was conducted to provide a comprehensive, multilevel examination of barriers and facilitators to transfusion therapy in children with SCA from health care provider and caregiver perspectives. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to conduct key informant interviews in a sample of 26 caregivers and 25 providers across the United States. Interviews were analyzed using directed content analysis with the Multilevel Ecological Model of Health as an initial coding framework and the constant comparison method. Results: Ten barrier themes and 10 facilitator themes emerged across all ecological levels. Themes most commonly occurred on the patient and organizational levels. Key barriers themes included Logistical Challenges, Obtaining and Maintaining Venous Access, Alloantibodies/Alloimmunization and Reactions, and Iron Overload and Adherence to Chelation Therapy. Key facilitator themes included Nursing and Non-nursing Staff Support, Positive Child/Family Experiences, Logistical Help and Social Resources, Blood Bank and Access to Blood, and Transfusion-Specific Resources. Discussion: The comprehensive understanding of multilevel barriers and facilitators to transfusion therapy, including the role of nursing, in children with SCA can inform strategies to improve CRCT for patients/families and providers and can also be applied by organizations seeking to implement transfusion services for SCA.

Social aspects of chronic transfusions: addressing social determinants of health, health literacy, and quality of life

Chronic monthly transfusions are a lifesaving preventative therapy for many patients with sickle cell disease; however, the burden of this therapy for patients and families is high. In the United States, there is overlap in the population affected by sickle cell disease and those with the greatest burden of social needs. Hematology providers caring for patients with SCD have an opportunity to screen for and mitigate social determinants of health, especially in those receiving chronic transfusion therapy given the frequent interactions with the healthcare system and increased demand on already potentially limited resources. Given the complexity of the treatment and medication regimens, providers caring for patients receiving chronic transfusions should implement universal strategies to minimize the impact of low health literacy, as this therapy imposes a significant demand on the health literacy skills of a family. Despite the social and literacy burden of this intervention, it is reassuring that quality of life is preserved as patients with SCD on chronic transfusion therapy often report higher health related quality of life than their peers receiving other disease modifying therapies.

Patient and family experience with chronic transfusion therapy for sickle cell disease: A qualitative study

Background

There is a limited understanding of the patient and family experience of Chronic Transfusion Therapy (CTT) for prevention of complications of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). We sought to understand patient and family experience with CTT using qualitative methods.

Methods

Fifteen parents of children < 18 years old and nine children 12–18 years old with SCD who were receiving CTT for > 1 year were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format, and interviews were analyzed using open coding methods.

Results

Four themes created a narrative of the patient and family experience of CTT: 1) Burden of CTT, 2) Coping with CTT, 3) Perceived benefits and risks of CTT, and 4) Decision making regarding CTT. Participants reported substantial burden of CTT, including the impact of CTT on daily life and family, distress about venous access, burden of chelation therapy, and anxiety about CTT complications. Participants described how they coped with CTT. Participants reported increased energy, decreased pain, fewer hospitalizations, and stroke prevention with CTT, but also recognized complications of CTT, though awareness was limited in adolescents. Parents described sharing in the informed decision-making process with their healthcare provider about CTT, but adolescent patient participants reported that they were not involved in this process.

Conclusions

CTT is associated with significant patient and family burden. Support from family, healthcare providers and school may help individuals cope with some of this burden. These findings provide the basis for future studies to identify strategies to mitigate the burden of CTT and improve the patient experience with this therapy. Future studies should also systematically assess patient knowledge about the key components of CTT and chelation using quantitative assessments.

Health-related Quality of Life in Children With Sickle Cell Disease Undergoing Chronic Red Cell Transfusion Therapy

Chronic red cell transfusion (CRCT) therapy is one of few disease-modifying treatments for sickle cell disease (SCD). This study evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children receiving CRCT relative to 2 comparison groups: children with similar, severe SCD and children with milder disease risk defined by SCD genotype. For this study, 67 children with SCD between the ages of 8 and 18 completed the self-report Pediatric Quality of Life Sickle Cell Disease module (PedsQL SCD) as part of a pilot clinical program during routine hematologic visits. A medical chart review was also performed. Linear regression suggested that children in the CRCT group had significantly higher self-reported HRQL ratings for domains related to pain, F2,64=4.07 (P=0.022) and pain-related functioning, F2,64=4.32 (P=0.017), compared with children with similar and milder disease risk. Exploratory analyses implied that children in the CRCT group also had fewer worries about SCD-related complications, F3,63=9.68 (P<0.001). These patient-perceived benefits of CRCT may have important implications for treatment decisions and for providing ancillary support for children with SCD and their families.

Appraisal of patient-reported outcome measures in analogous diseases and recommendations for use in phase II and III clinical trials of pyruvate kinase deficiency

PURPOSE

Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) is a rare disease and understanding of its epidemiology and associated burden remains limited. With no current curative therapy, clinical manifestations can be life threatening, clinically managed by maintaining adequate hemoglobin levels through transfusion and subsequent support, but with frequent complications. Treatment goals are to maintain/improve the patient's quality of life. With new therapies, reliable, valid, and relevant patient-reported outcome (PRO) tools are required for use in clinical trials.

METHODS

Systematic literature search identified no current PRO tools for capturing/measuring the impact of PKD and treatments in clinical trials. Therefore, the search strategy was revised to consider conditions analogous to PKD in terms of symptoms and impacts that might serve as parallels to the experience in PKD; this included sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and hemolytic anemia. Psychometric properties, strengths, and weakness of selected appropriate PRO instruments were compared, and recommendations made for choice of PRO tools.

RESULTS

In adult populations, EORTC QLQ C30 and SF-36v2 are recommended, the former being a basic minimum, covering generic HRQoL, and core symptoms such as fatigue. In pediatric populations, PedsQL Generic Core Scale to measure HRQoL and PedsQL MFS scale to measure fatigue are recommended.

CONCLUSIONS

Some symptoms/life impacts may be unique to PKD and not observable in analogous conditions. A 'Physico-Psychosocial Model' derived from the 'Medical Model' is proposed to form the basis for a hypothesized conceptual framework to address the development of PKD-specific PRO instruments.

Possible Risk Factors for Severe Anemia in Hospitalized Sickle Cell Patients at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania: Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited disorder worldwide, with the highest burden in sub-Saharan Africa. The natural history of SCD is characterized by periods of steady state interspersed by acute episodes. The acute anemic crises may be transient and are precipitated by treatable factors like infections, nutritional deficiencies, and sequestration. Anemia is almost always present, although it occurs at different levels of severity.

Objective

This paper describes the protocol of a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of severe anemia and associated factors among sickle cell patients hospitalized at the Muhimbili National Hospital.

Methods

This is an ongoing, descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study among individuals with SCD, admitted to the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dares Salaam, Tanzania. A minimum sample size of 369 was calculated based on the previous prevalence of hospitalizations due to severe anemia (20%) in the same cohort. We are using a piloted standardized case report form to document clinical and laboratory parameters following informed consent. Data analysis will be performed using Stata software. Severe anemia is defined as Hb<5g/dL. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test will be used to ascertain association between categorical variables, and t-test will be used for numerical variables. Regression models for severe anemia against explanatory and confounding variables will be run, and results will be presented as adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. A P value of <.05 will be considered significant.

Results

Enrolment commenced in January 2015 and concluded in September 2016. Complete data analysis will begin in February 2018. The study results are expected to be published in May 2018.

Conclusions

This protocol paper will provide a useful and practical model for conducting cross-sectional studies in hospitalized patients that cover a wide ranging of clinical and laboratory variables.

Sickle cell disease in Africa: an overview of the integrated approach to health, research, education and advocacy in Tanzania, 2004-2016

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the single most important genetic cause of childhood mortality globally. Tanzania has one of the highest annual births of SCD individuals in the world, estimated to reach 11 000 births a year. Without intervention, 50-90% of children will die in childhood. However, cost-effective interventions have the potential to reduce childhood mortality by up to 70%. The effects of SCD are multi-dimensional, ranging from causing high morbidity and mortality, and reducing the quality of life, to imposing a high socio-economic burden on individuals, families and health systems. In the past 12 years, the SCD programme in Tanzania has developed, with local and global partnerships, a systematic framework for comprehensive research that is integrated into providing healthcare, training and advocacy in SCD. This report outlines the approach and achievements of collective initiatives for management and control of SCD in Tanzania.

The Daily Experiences of Adolescents in Lebanon With Sickle Cell Disease

OBJECTIVES

Despite the psychosocial and physical consequences associated with sickle cell disease (SCD), the daily lived experience of adolescents diagnosed with this disease is a phenomenon rarely described. The objective of this study was to explore the daily lived experience of adolescents with SCD living in Lebanon.

METHOD

Twelve adolescents with SCD between the ages of 12 and 17 years were interviewed with use of a semi-structured interview during a routine follow-up visit after they were assessed as being pain free. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

Adolescents with SCD experience a layered burden consisting of physical, emotional, and sympathetic pain that affects much of their daily personal and social lives. Nevertheless, they seem to claim normalcy and to downplay their pain and suffering in order to limit their caregivers' distress.

CONCLUSION

These findings can be used to assist health care providers in designing culturally sensitive interventions specifically designed for adolescents with SCD and their families to enable them to better cope with their illness.

Health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell disease using the child health questionnaire

INTRODUCTION

This study sought to determine if changes in parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD-SS) occurred after participation in a nutritional supplementation study and to compare HRQOL responses with normative scores from non-White children.

METHOD

Parents of children with SCD-SS between the ages of 5 and 13 years completed the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50) at baseline and at 12 months.

RESULTS

For the 47 children (8.6 ± 2.4 yrs, 43% female), baseline Child Health Questionnaire scale scores were significantly lower than normative scale scores for parental emotional impact, general health, and overall physical health, but they were higher for mental health. After the nutritional supplementation study, overall physical health and parental emotional impact improved to normative levels. Furthermore, physical role functioning significantly improved.

DISCUSSION

Participation in a nutritional study had a positive impact on parent-reported HRQOL physical scores in children with SCD-SS. More research is necessary to develop care providers' awareness and adequate HRQOL interventions for this population.

Sickle cell disease: new opportunities and challenges in Africa

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic causes of illness and death in the world. This is a review of SCD in Africa, which bears the highest burden of disease. The first section provides an introduction to the molecular basis of SCD and the pathophysiological mechanism of selected clinical events. The second section discusses the epidemiology of the disease (prevalence, morbidity, and mortality), at global level and within Africa. The third section discusses the laboratory diagnosis and management of SCD, emphasizing strategies that been have proven to be effective in areas with limited resources. Throughout the review, specific activities that require evidence to guide healthcare in Africa, as well as strategic areas for further research, will be highlighted.

Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease

OBJECTIVE

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Scales, a multidimensional self-report instrument that has been shown to be valid and reliable for use in children and adolescents with chronic illness, consists of 23 items that assess physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Questionnaires were administered to 124 children and adolescents (ages 8 to 18 years, child self-report) with SCD (100 sickle cell anemia, 24 sickle β zero thalassemia) and their parents (parent-proxy report). Summary scores for children's and parents' ratings of overall HRQOL and psychosocial health and subscale scores for physical, emotional, social, and school functioning were compared with published data for healthy children. Both summary and subscale scores for children with SCD also were compared with those of their parents.

RESULTS

Children with SCD and their parents rated overall HRQOL and all subdomains of HRQOL lower than did healthy children and their parents (P < .001). Children with SCD rated their own HRQOL significantly better than their parents did for overall HRQOL and all subdomains (P < .001) except emotional functioning (P = .06).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with SCD and their parents perceived overall HRQOL and all HRQOL subdomains to be lower than scores reported in healthy children. Therefore, successful therapeutic efforts to improve HRQOL could represent important advances in the health of children with SCD.

Morbidity and mortality in chronically transfused subjects with thalassemia and sickle cell disease: A report from the multi-center study of iron overload

A natural history study was conducted in 142 Thalassemic (Thal), 199 transfused Sickle Cell Disease (Tx-SCD, n = 199), and 64 non-Tx-SCD subjects to describe the frequency of iron-related morbidity and mortality. Subjects recruited from 31 centers in the US, Canada or the UK were similar with respect to age (overall: 25 +/- 11 years, mean +/- SD) and gender (52% female). We found that Tx-SCD subjects were hospitalized more frequently compared with Thal or non-Tx-SCD (P < 0.001). Among those hospitalized, Tx-SCD adult subjects were more likely to be unemployed compared with Thal (RR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.5) or non-Tx-SCD (RR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.3-7.3). There was a positive relationship between the severity of iron overload, assessed by serum ferritin, and the frequency of hospitalizations (r= 0.20; P = 0.009). Twenty-three deaths were reported (6 Thal, 17 Tx-SCD) in 23.5 +/- 10 months of follow-up. Within the Tx-SCD group, those who died began transfusion (25.3 vs. 12.4 years, P < 0.001) and chelation therapy later (26.8 vs. 14.2 years, P = 0.01) compared with those who survived. The unadjusted death rate in Thal was lower (2.2/100 person years) compared with that in Tx-SCD (7.0/100 person years; RR = 0.38: 95% CI 0.12-0.99). However, no difference was observed when age at death was considered. Despite improvements in therapy, death rate in this contemporary sample of transfused adult subjects with Thal or SCD is 3 times greater than the general US population. Long term follow-up of this unique cohort of subjects will be helpful in further defining the relationship of chronic, heavy iron overload to morbidity and mortality.

Health related quality of life in sickle cell patients: the PiSCES project

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic disease associated with high degrees of morbidity and increased mortality. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with sickle cell disease has not been widely reported.

Methods

We administered the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form to 308 patients in the Pain in Sickle Cell Epidemiology Study (PiSCES) to assess HRQOL. Scales included physical function, physical and emotional role function, bodily pain, vitality, social function, mental health, and general health. We compared scores with national norms using t-tests, and with three chronic disease cohorts: asthma, cystic fibrosis and hemodialysis patients using analysis of variance and Dunnett's test for comparison with a control. We also assessed whether SCD specific variables (genotype, pain, crisis and utilization) were independently predictive of SF-36 subscales, controlling for socio-demographic variables using regression.

Results

Patients with SCD scored significantly worse than national norms on all subscales except mental health. Patients with SCD had lower HRQOL than cystic fibrosis patients except for mental health. Scores were similar for physical function, role function and mental health as compared to asthma patients, but worse for bodily pain, vitality, social function and general health subscales. Compared to dialysis patients, sickle cell disease patients scored similarly on physical role and emotional role function, social functioning and mental health, worse on bodily pain, general health and vitality and better on physical functioning. Surprisingly, genotype did not influence HRQOL except for vitality. However, scores significantly decreased as pain levels increased.

Conclusion

SCD patients experience health related quality of life worse than the general population, and in general, their scores were most similar to patients undergoing hemodialysis. Practitioners should regard their HRQOL as severely compromised. Interventions in SCD should consider improvements in health related quality of life as important outcomes.

Neurocognitive sequelae of sickle cell disease: current issues and future directions

Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. This disease is most prevalent among those of African American and Mediterranean descent. Cerebral vascular accident (CVA) or stroke is one of the major complications of hemoglobin SS (Hgb SS) disease. CVA has implications for physical as well as neurocognitive function for children. Recent literature suggests that some children with sickle cell disease without overt signs of CVA may still have evidence of neurological deficit, both on magnetic resonance imaging and neurological examination. There is a growing body of knowledge that further aids in delineation of risk factors for CVA, silent infarct, and neurocognitive deficits in children with Hgb SS disease. More research is needed to continue to explore avenues for identification and intervention. The purpose of this article is to delineate areas of ongoing research in this important area.