Requirements for a reference or expert thalassemia center: the structure/model for centers dealing with chronic/hereditary blood disorders.

Chronic disorders, such as the hemoglobin disorders, have a multi-organ involvement and are subject to complications, requiring multidisciplinary care. Most convenient for the patient is the concentration of expertise under one roof and where routine care, such as blood transfusions, can be provided away from acutely ill patients with episodic infections and other conditions. These specialized centers already exist but as yet the standards, which should designate a center as an expert center or a reference center, have not yet been specified or applied. This article examines standards that have been described by two separate authorities in the United States and Europe and suggests the application of these standards to existing or proposed hemoglobinopathy centers.