Consensus definition of essential, optimal, and suggested components of
a pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Center
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) requires coordinated, specialized medical care
for optimal outcomes. There are no United States (US) guidelines that
define a pediatric comprehensive SCD program. We report a modified
Delphi consensus-seeking process to determine essential, optimal, and
suggested elements of a comprehensive pediatric SCD center. Nineteen
pediatric SCD specialists participated from the US. Consensus was
predefined as 2/3 agreement on each element’s categorization. Twenty-six
elements were considered essential (required for guideline-based SCD
care), ten were optimal (recommended but not required), and five were
suggested. This work lays the foundation for a formal recognition
process of pediatric comprehensive SCD centers.
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