The Longitudinal Relationship of Hydroxyurea Adherence Behavior to Health-related Quality of Life, Barriers to Adherence and Habit Formation in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.
The Longitudinal Relationship of Hydroxyurea Adherence Behavior to Health-related Quality of Life, Barriers to Adherence and Habit Formation in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.
The primary objective of this study is to better understand factors contributing to variations in hydroxyurea (HU) adherence behavior in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle cell disease (SCD). To meet this objective, the researchers will conduct a prospective cohort study to determine the longitudinal relationship between HU adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) overtime among AYA with SCD. The long-term goal of this research is to promote medication adherence behavior and improve health outcomes in AYA with SCD.
Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder in the US, affecting about 100,000 Americans, and about 1 in 400 African American live births, incurring annual health care costs of $335 million. SCD can lead to serious complications including unpredictable, debilitating pain episodes, cardiopulmonary disease, stroke, and long-term end organ damage.These complications lead to significant declines in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs), culminating in early mortality, particularly among AYA. Hydroxyurea, at present, is the main FDA approved medication for SCD that reduces morbidity and mortality, improves HRQoL and lowers healthcare utilization.However, adherence to HU remains suboptimal with only 35-50% of patients achieving high adherence (≥90%), particularly among AYA with SCD. Low HU adherence has been associated with worse health outcomes, poor HRQOL and increased healthcare utilization. Low HU adherence is multifactorial, especially in AYA with other competing priorities and vulnerability in developmental and psychological factors contributing to adherence behavior. The specific aim for this study is to determine the longitudinal relationship of HU adherence behavior to health-related quality of life, barriers to adherence and habit formation among AYA with SCD.
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