Sickle cell hospital unit: a disease-specific model.

American urban hospitals often serve large populations of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Those hospitals that choose to implement an adult SCD-specific inpatient unit have the opportunity to acquire multiple operational benefits. Such units may ultimately reduce patient morbidity and mortality; improve timely access to quality medical care in a cost-effective manner; reduce overcrowding in the emergency department; and increase patient, family, physician, and payer satisfaction. SCD is a serious, painful, genetic blood disorder that affects a growing population of adults in the United States. A single mistake in the gene that codes for hemoglobin causes crescent-shaped red blood cells that are sticky, are stiff, and have a short life span. These cells cause blockages, tremendous pain brought on by lack of oxygen in the muscles, organ damage, stroke, and problems with infections. The cells' short life span often results in anemia. The unpredictable pain event-sickle cell disease with crisis-is the most common reason for presentation to the emergency department and for hospital admission. For many SCD patients, the emergency department process and the general, overly conservative approach to pain relief lead to a delay in treatment and prolong needless suffering. Regional Medical Center at Memphis (Tennessee) established an SCD unit and developed an inpatient care delivery model that decreases the burden of caring for SCD patients on its busy emergency department, improves SCD patients' satisfaction and access to timely quality care, and reduces the needless pain and suffering of SCD patients. This SCD model may be replicated in large urban hospitals with a daily SCD patient census of five or more.