Comprehensive Care
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends that persons with bleeding disorders receive an annual comprehensive evaluation at a federally recognized comprehensive hemophilia treatment center. An excellent cost/benefit ratio has been well documented for these multidisciplinary evaluations for individuals with hemophilia, as well as decreased patient morbidity and mortality rates. According to J. Michael Soucie, Ph.D., of the CDC:
“The finding that HTCs (hemophilia treatment centers) have a significant effect on reducing mortality in patients with hemophilia supports the effectiveness of such centers in providing specialized preventive care….”
“The 40% reduction in risk of death that we observed among persons using HTCs is even more remarkable because HTCs provide health care services to a higher proportion of severely affected patients as well as to a disproportionate share of patients with severe liver disease, HIV infection, and AIDS – the primary risk factors for mortality in this population.” – Blood 15 July 2000; Vol. 96, No. 2: 437—442.
The multidisciplinary evaluation in comprehensive clinic is provided without charge. The only costs of comprehensive clinic to the patient and insurers are for laboratory tests and radiological evaluations.
This in-depth comprehensive evaluation involves the entire multidisciplinary team and takes approximately three hours per patient. Members of the multidisciplinary team include specialists in pediatric hematology, adult hematology, nursing, genetics, physical therapy, dentistry, social work, nutrition and pharmacy. During the evaluation, these specialists identify and assess any problems or concerns and report them to the patients and their referring physicians. The comprehensive evaluation includes a physical examination, laboratory studies, and assessment of bleeding episodes and other medical conditions and their sequellae (associated pathological conditions). Comprehensive clinic evaluations also address the psychosocial, genetic and financial burden these disorders place on patients and their families, as well as any problems that may have been encountered in acquiring optimal care for their condition.
The IHTC’s multidisciplinary team informs patients about all aspects of dealing with disorders of coagulation. The program’s main objective is to assist people with disorders of coagulation in managing their healthcare and to help these patients and their families maintain a healthy normal lifestyle.
Report to Referring Staff
In the interest of facilitating the healthcare of the patient, a written summary of the IHTC’s findings and recommendations is sent to the referring physician following either the initial evaluation or comprehensive visit. Recommendations can be carried out locally, or alternatively, the patient may be referred to the IHTC.
