Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease Using SBAR as a Communication Tool: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Medical Education
• Health Communication

Background:

• Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful hemoglobinopathy often leading to patient dissatisfaction during care seeking.
• Assertive communication, conceptualized by the Theory of Self-Care Management for SCD, is a key resource for improving healthcare outcomes.
• Barriers in patient-provider communication can negatively impact the healthcare experience for individuals with SCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if adults with SCD can learn the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication method using a web-based trainer.
• To evaluate participants' perceptions of the SBAR web-based training.
• To determine the feasibility of using technology to enhance self-care management in SCD.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 18 adults with SCD.
• Utilized inter-rater reliability (IRR) to assess SBAR communication proficiency within a web platform.
• Employed content analysis to understand participant perspectives on the SBAR patient-healthcare provider (HCP) communication simulation's acceptability.

Main Results:

• SBAR IRR scores ranged from 64% to 94%, with 72% to 94% of responses demonstrating expected SBAR component use.
• Key themes emerged: Patient-Provider Communication and Interaction, Patients' Desire to be Heard and Believed, Accuracy of Emergency Department (ED) Experiences, and the Usefulness of the Video Trainer.

Conclusions:

• The web-based SBAR training is useful and acceptable for adults with SCD, enhancing patient-HCP communication.
• Improved communication can potentially mitigate care-seeking barriers for individuals with SCD and lead to better health outcomes.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings.