Increasing Access to HCT for Sickle Cell Disease: Connecting Transplant Centers and Sickle Cell Programs

This webinar focused on recent research in the use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), convening a panel of experts to discuss ways to improve access for patients with SCD who could benefit from HCT. Many patients and providers alike are unfamiliar with HCT as a potential curative option for SCD patients. Demystifying transplant among SCD providers and encouraging strong relationships between transplant centers and community providers treating SCD patients can help open up HCT as an option for these patients. Disparities in health care among racial and ethnic groups are well established, and the lack of discussion of HCT among SCD patients and providers presents another example of differential access to care. Several transplant programs who routinely transplant SCD patients are working to make stronger connections with local community SCD treatment programs to help overcome these barriers to care and encourage discussion about HCT’s place in the treatment of SCD. 

During this interactive roundtable-style webinar, our expert HCT and SCD panelists discussed some of the latest research and outcomes in HCT for SCD, as well as shared models for outreach and engagement between transplant centers and SCD programs. Panelists explored the role of HCT in the treatment of SCD and how to ensure access to HCT for these patients as a matter of health equity, including through patient programs like the Sickle Cell Warrior Program and HLA Today. This webinar is relevant for both transplant centers and community hematologists/oncologists and SCD program providers who refer out for transplant and cellular therapies, discussing the role that all practitioners can play in improving access to HCT.

Release Date: 4/15/2024

Expiration Date: 4/15/2025

Estimated Time to complete activity: One hour

Statement of Need:

The Sickle Cell Warriors Program at NMDP is a patient services program that assists in typing for patients, financial assistance, counseling, patient education and providing peer connections. The primary feedback from patients in the Sickle Cell Warrior Program is that #1 barrier to treatment is physicians. Patients report that they are not being told about all of their treatment options; regardless of disease severity, they should at least be made aware of various options, but often they are not. Many patients go to the Sickle Cell Warriors Program to enroll in a clinical trial for transplant, but this usually does not cover cost of HLA typing. In this case, the referring physician has not gone through the process of HLA typing, either because of misinformation or because the physician refuses to provide an order for typing simply because they don’t agree with patients’ physicians. This is a clear miscommunication between the community oncologists and transplant physicians. In surveys, transplant physicians identify a lack of awareness, lack of confidence, and reliance on outdated data from the referring physicians. These referring physicians in a similar survey reported that their primary reason for not communicating all treatment options was noncompliance in patients who they did not believe had the means to move forward with treatment. This illustrates a complex problem between the three groups (referring community physicians, transplant physicians, and the patients themselves) that this webinar series aims to address.

Target Audience:

This activity is intended for physicians, both referring physicians and transplant specialists, scientists, and other healthcare professionals who are part of the multidisciplinary team.

1. Upon completion of this education activity, participants will be able to:
2. Identify recent trends in access to and outcomes of HCT for SCD
3. Discuss models for outreach and engagement to improve shared, coordinated care between transplant centers treating SCD patients and community hematology/oncology or SCD programs
4. Describe the role of HCT in the treatment of SCD 
5. Explain how transplant centers and hematology/oncology or SCD providers can work together to improve health equity and access to HCT
6. Use patient resources for SCD through the Sickle Cell Warrior Program and HLA Today

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The France Foundation (TFF), the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). The France Foundation is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation 
Physicians
The France Foundation designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  

Method of Participation/How to Receive Credit:
There are no fees for participating and receiving credit for this activity. Successful completion is achieved by reviewing the CE information, completing the pre-test, completing the activity, and completing the post-test and evaluation form. A score of at least 75% on the posttest is required to successfully complete this activity. The participant may take the test until successfully passed.

If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download. 

Disclosure Policy:
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT require that individuals in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with a commercial entity. TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT resolve all conflicts of interest to ensure independence, objectivity, balance, and scientific rigor in all their educational programs. Furthermore, TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT seek to verify that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CME/CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT are committed to providing learners with high-quality CME/CE activities that promote improvements in health care and not those of a commercial interest.

Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.

Commercial Supporter Disclosures

No commercial support was provided for this webinar.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use:
TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT require CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

Disclaimer:
TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT present this information for educational purposes only. The content is provided solely by faculty who have been selected because of recognized expertise in their field. Participants have the professional responsibility to ensure that products are prescribed and used appropriately on the basis of their own clinical judgment and accepted standards of care. TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT assume no liability for the information herein.