Care seeking for pain in young adults with sickle cell disease.
In individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), recognizing the cues to an acute pain episode and responding appropriately are important. The purpose of this mixed-methods pilot study is to identify preliminary factors that influence care seeking for pain in young adults with SCD. Responses were received from 69 young adults with SCD, age 18-35 years. The majority of respondents (88%) wait until the pain intensity is an average of 8.7 (± 1.2) on a scale of 1 to 10 before seeking care. Prominent themes influencing care seeking for pain include: trying to treat pain at home, avoiding the emergency department because of past treatment experiences, the desire to avoid admission to the hospital, and the importance of time in the lives of the young adults with SCD. Young adults with SCD need additional support from family and healthcare providers in order to make timely, appropriate decisions regarding care seeking.
School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: coretta.jenerette@unc.edu.
Coretta M
CM
Jenerette
Duke Cancer Care Research Program, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, North Carolina.
Cheryl A
CA
Brewer
Division of Hematology/Oncology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Kenneth I
KI
Ataga
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D055815:Young Adult