Self-management recommendations for sickle cell disease: A Ghanaian health professionals' perspective

To describe self-management recommendations for sickle cell disease (SCD) care among health professionals who manage SCD in Ghana.

Nine health care professionals (nurses, doctors, and physician assistants) who work in SCD were interviewed. The semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. Self-management recommendations were conceptualised as preventive health, self-monitoring, self-diagnosis, self-treatment, and self-evaluation.

Preventive health recommendations were the commonest, where the professionals described similar topics including avoidance of cold temperature, frequent oral hydration, and healthy nutrition. Self-monitoring recommendations included regular checks for pallor, urine colour, and splenic enlargement. Self-diagnosis recommendations were captured as warning signs and included pain, fever, unusual feelings, and enlarged spleen. Pain and fever management were the focus of most self-treatment advice, and there were some self-treatment recommendations for dactylitis, anaemia, and priapism. There was considerable variation in the strategies recommended for the management of individual SCD-related problems.

Ghanaian health professionals involved in SCD care provide limited and inconsistent self-management recommendations. There is a need for the development of SCD standards and guidelines that support effective self-management. Health professionals working in SCD require continuing education in self-management.