As a result of efforts of many institutions in the United States, there is increased awareness about sickle cell disease and some improvement in knowledge and skills of physicians and allied health professionals for diagnosis and management of sickle cell disease. However, our preliminary data suggest that there are still many misconceptions and inappropriate health care practices. These include lack of screening of high risk populations, lack of diagnostic skills required for variants of sickle cell disease, lack of awareness about penicillin prophylaxis and other preventive measures for infections in children, inappropriate blood transfusion practices, poor pain control and management, and lack of knowledge about psychosocial, developmental, academic and vocational consequences of sickle cell disease. there is a shortage of health manpower serving socioeconomically poor, predominantly black, urban and rural areas in the United States, particularly in the central gulf coast states. There is also a national consensus that minorities are under- represented in biomedical and behavioral research nationally. In response to the national needs and priorities and as a result of our educational needs assessment, we have developed a program for education of health professionals. The ultimate goal of the health professions education program is to improve the health care of sickle cell patients. This program is in place for the past four years and has the following specific objectives; (1) to promote interest in sickle cell research among undergraduate and medical students, (2) to improve training of residents and fellows in various specialties related to sickle cell disease, (3) to educate practicing physicians and allied health professionals in the central gulf coast area, and (4) to disseminate new information to physicians and investigators in the United States.
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