Involving Palliative Care to Improve Outcomes in Sickle Cell Disease
In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors call for stronger integration of palliative care into the treatment of people living with sickle cell disease (SCD). They note that outside of specialized centers of excellence, utilization remains low—less than 0.5% of hospitalized patients with SCD in the U.S. receive palliative care, despite commonly reported symptoms including severe pain, emotional distress, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. The authors emphasize that palliative care can address these needs, improve quality of life, reduce disparities, and strengthen trust between patients and clinicians through holistic, person-centered, and trauma-informed care.