Featured Review: Interventions for patients and caregivers to improve knowledge of sickle cell disease and recognition of its related complications

Positive effects of educational interventions on improving patient knowledge of sickle cell disease and reducing depressionSickle cell disease is a lifelong, inherited disorder which can cause a number of complications throughout an individual ' s life. It may cause a huge burden on both the patient and their family, including frequent visits to healthcare facilities. The illness causes not just physical complications such as painful crises and strokes, but may have many other effects such as depression, poor quality of life, coping issues, and poor family relationships. When people with a chronic illness have better understanding about their illness, they manage their illness better and can improve their quality of life.A team of Cochrane authors based in Barbados and Jamaica, supported byCochrane Caribbean,   worked withCochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders to determine if any educational interventions have helped people with sickle cell disease and their caregivers to improve their understanding of the disease, recognize its complications, improve their adherence to treatment, affect how they utilize health care, and improve other social and psychological problems that they might face. Their review includes 12 trials involving a total of 563 people with the disease, aged 6-35 years of age.Educational programs and other interventions resulted in improvements in both patients ’ and their caregivers’ knowledge or understanding of sickle cell disease, and a decre...
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