Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39680309›Full record

ArticleAdvances in therapy2025

Qualitative Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life Impacts Associated with Sickle Cell Disease in the United States and United Kingdom.

Jennifer Drahos, Adriana Boateng-Kuffour, Melanie Calvert, Ashley Valentine, Anthony Mason, Nanxin Li, Zahra Pakbaz, Farrukh Shah, Antony P Martin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Advances in therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jennifer DrahosVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Boston, MA, USA. Jennifer_Drahos@vrtx.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8454-9863
Adriana Boateng-KuffourVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Boston, MA, USA.
Melanie CalvertCentre for Patient-Reported Outcomes Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Ashley ValentineSick Cells, Washington, DC, USA.
Anthony MasonSickle Cell Care Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Nanxin LiVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Boston, MA, USA.
Zahra PakbazDivision of Hematology Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA.
Farrukh ShahNHS Blood and Transplant, London, UK.
Antony P MartinQC Medica, Liverpool, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIndividuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) commonly report impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, impacts of SCD on HRQoL and the unmet needs of SCD treatment/management are under-researched. This study characterized the impact of SCD on HRQoL and identified the unmet needs of individuals with SCD.

methodsAdults with SCD (aged ≥ 18 years) and caregivers of adolescents (aged 12‒17) with SCD in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) participated in one-on-one virtual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (hereafter referred to as 'interviews'). Interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed.

resultsNineteen individuals participated in the study (across five interviews and three focus group discussions), including 18 adults with SCD (United States, n = 11; United Kingdom, n = 7) and one caregiver of an adolescent with SCD (United States). Most participants were female (n = 15). Participants reported negative impacts of SCD on their HRQoL, including the burden of structuring their lives around SCD, due to unpredictable symptoms. They reported negative impacts to psychological health (e.g., depression/low mood and anxiety) and physical health (e.g., chronic pain and fatigue) that affected their social and family life, work, and education, leading to feelings of isolation. Participants expressed concerns about the future, feelings of resentment, and the need for high resilience when facing the barriers/impacts associated with SCD. Many participants reported negative interactions with healthcare professionals, leading to trauma, anxiety, and routine care avoidance. Most participants reported perceived prejudice during routine SCD treatment/management, including being treated as drug-seekers.

conclusionIndividuals with SCD experience negative HRQoL impacts, including impacts to daily activities, social and family life, work and education, psychological health, and prejudice/stigma. Our findings highlight significant unmet needs of individuals living with SCD, including alternative treatment options to reduce vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) frequency and treat fatigue.

Indexed as

Anemia, Sickle CellQuality of LifeAdolescentAdultCaregiversChildFemaleFocus GroupsHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchUnited KingdomUnited StatesYoung AdultFatigueFocus groupsHealth-related quality of lifeHemoglobinopathyQualitative interviewsSickle cell diseaseVaso-occlusive crises

Identifiers

PMID39680309
PMCPMC11787150

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.