Self-efficacy, transition, and patient outcomes in the sickle cell disease population

Severe pain is a common symptom of sickle cell disease (SCD). Transitions between adult and pediatric care are a point of particular vulnerability for patients, increasing the risk for poor pain management. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate the relationships among self-efficacy, transition, and SCD health outcomes. A systematic literature search was performed within CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, and PubMed on published papers between 2003 and 2013. After applying exclusion criteria, 20 articles were used in the final review. Few studies were identified that directly tested the relationship between self-efficacy and SCD outcomes. Although there are few studies on this topic, most demonstrated positive correlations between self-efficacy during transition and positive patient outcomes in the SCD population. Additional studies are needed to support causation. Studies were commonly limited by small sample sizes and attrition. Furthermore, there is a large gap in the literature regarding how self-efficacy can be increased in these patients. Interventions that promote self-efficacy have the potential to improve SCD pain outcomes, but more research is needed to develop interventions to increase these adolescents' self-efficacy. If providers can identify individuals in this population with low self-efficacy, they may be able to intervene early to improve patient outcomes. Most identified studies point to the positive correlation between self-efficacy and positive health outcomes in adolescents with SCD. Self-efficacy has the potential to guide self-care interventions and further research with the SCD population.