Trainees' perspectives on sickle cell education: a qualitative needs assessment

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Hematology
• Healthcare Equity

Background:

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) highlights significant social, racial, and healthcare disparities in the U.S.
• Despite high disease burden, SCD lacks research and clinical teaching prioritization, leading to undertrained clinicians.
• This study assesses trainee needs for SCD education and clinical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the perspectives of hematology-oncology trainees on SCD-focused education.
• To identify educational and clinical care gaps in managing SCD patients.
• To inform improvements in SCD training for future specialists.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews with 15 hematology-oncology trainees across 6 U.S. programs.
• Inductive, iterative thematic analysis of focus group discussions.
• Exploration of trainee attitudes and preferences regarding SCD management education.

Main Results:

• Trainees expressed discomfort in caring for SCD patients.
• Key challenges include managing complex SCD complications and healthcare bias.
• A significant desire for specialized SCD education and improved clinical exposure was identified.

Conclusions:

• Inconsistent training, limited didactics, and lack of standardization contribute to trainee deficits in SCD management.
• These gaps may decrease interest in the SCD workforce.
• Recommendations include ACGME competency changes, dedicated SCD rotations, and standardized curricula.