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. 2022 Feb;69(2):e29446.
doi: 10.1002/pbc.29446. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Trends in quality of care among children with sickle cell anemia

Sarah L Reeves  1   2 , Gary L Freed  1 , Brian Madden  1 , Meng Wu  3 , Lauren Miller  3 , Lindsay Cogan  3 , David Anders  3 , Susan E Creary  4 , Julie McCormick  1 , Kevin J Dombkowski  1
Affiliations

Trends in quality of care among children with sickle cell anemia

Sarah L Reeves et al. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: For decades, it has been recommended that children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) receive antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent serious infections and undergo transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening to identify those at highest risk of overt stroke. We assessed recent temporal trends in antibiotic prophylaxis prescription fills and TCD screening among children with SCA using validated quality measures.

Procedure: Using validated claims-based definitions, we identified children with SCA who were enrolled in Michigan or New York State (NYS) Medicaid programs (2011-2018). Among recommended age groups, two outcomes were assessed yearly: (a) filling of ≥300 days of antibiotics, and (b) receipt of greater than or equal to one TCD. The proportion of children with each outcome was calculated by state. Temporal trends in each preventive service were assessed using generalized linear models.

Results: A total of 1784 children were eligible for antibiotic prophylaxis (Michigan: 384; NYS: 1400), contributing 3322 person-years. Annual rates of filling ≥300 days of antibiotics ranged from 16% to 22% and were similar by state. There was no change in rates of antibiotic filling over time in Michigan (p-value: .10), but there was a decrease in NYS (p-value: .02). A total of 3439 children with SCA were eligible for TCD screening (Michigan: 710; NYS: 2729), contributing 10,012 person-years. Annual rates of TCD screening ranged from 39% to 45%, were similar by state, and did not change over time (p-values >.05).

Conclusions: Most children with SCA do not receive recommended antibiotic prophylaxis and/or TCD screening. New, sustainable, and coordinated interventions across preventive services are urgently needed.

Keywords: epidemiology; quality of life; sickle cell anemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of children with sickle cell anemia in Medicaid receiving 300+ days of antibiotic prophylaxis
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Proportion of children with sickle cell anemia in Medicaid receiving annual TCD screen
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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