ASH and ACP Present Toolkit to Ensure Quality of Care in the Transition from Pediatric to Adult Practices
The American College of Physicians (ACP) – in collaboration with other medical organizations, including the American Society of Hematology (ASH) – has released new resources and tools to help hematologists ensure quality care for their patients who are transitioning from pediatric to adult practices. The toolkits were developed to address the gaps in care that transitioning patients often experience.
"Transitioning from pediatric to adult health-care practices is often a challenge for patients with chronic medical issues, because it can be difficult to adhere to a treatment regimen or attend regular appointments without the assistance of a parent or guardian," ASH President Charles S. Abrams, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, said in a press release. "ASH recognizes that understanding a patient's preparedness to take control of his or her medical condition in adulthood can make a huge difference in quality of care, which is why we are pleased to join the American College of Physicians and partner societies in this important initiative."
Patients in the 18- to 21-year age group may experience a lack of preventive care as they transition from pediatric to adult care, which can lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and complications. These resources were developed as part of the ACP's Pediatric to Adult Care Transition Initiative; a broad ACP workgroup developed common tools and templates for a "general" transition process (which include customized worksheets), while subspecialty societies such as ASH were asked to develop customized toolkits for specific diseases and conditions.
The toolkit includes two types of forms:
- Clinical summaries to be completed by both the referring provider and the patient
- Transition readiness assessments to be completed by the patient to evaluate the patient's understanding of the condition and ability to manage medications, appointments, insurance, and medical privacy issues
The forms in this toolkit are available at hematology.org/transitions.
Members of ASH Learn About Advocacy
The Sixth Annual ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute took place at ASH headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 6-7, 2016. During the two-day workshop, participants gained an understanding of how the federal legislative and regulatory processes work, learned about ASH's position on key policy issues, and learned how to become effective advocates for hematology and demonstrated those new skills during visits with their congressional delegation.
Back Row (L to R): Aditi Kamdar, MD; Mohamed Kharfan-Dabaja, MD; Saurabh Dahiya, MD; Cesar Rodriguez, MD; E. Leila Jerome Clay, MD; Samer Khaled, MD; Sneha Borikar, PhD; Kelty Baker, MD; Lori Luchtman-Jones, MD; Chair Alan Lichtin, MD; Stephen Makoni, MD; Alice Mims, MD, MSCR; Sadia Riaz, DO; Joseph Tariman, PhD; Akshat Jain, MD, MPH; Alicia Stallings, Henny Billett, MD; Michael Grossbard, MD. Bottom Row (L to R): Avan Armaghani, MD; Jordan Morton, MD; Robert Cornell, MD; Tamna Wangjam, MD; Ariela Marshall, MD; Silvana Bucur, MD.
NEW ASH Honorific Award: ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity
ASH continues to embrace the values of diversity and inclusion by leading efforts to promote the advancement of underrepresented groups in hematology. In support of this organizational priority, the Awards Committee and the Committee on Promoting Diversity have created a new Honorific Award dedicated to the recognition of hematologists who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to diversity and inclusion.
This award will serve as a visible example of the high regard that ASH has for those committed to diversity and the inclusion in hematology of people who face barriers to success because of societal disadvantages. The award honors hematologists who have supported the development of an inclusive hematology workforce, who have encouraged the career development of underrepresented minority trainees, or who have made a commitment to inclusiveness and diversity within ASH.
Nominations for the ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity will be accepted through August 1, 2016. For more information, including eligibility criteria and the nomination process, go to hematology.org/Awards/Honorific/5652.aspx.
ASH Wants to Hear From You
Nominate a malignant hematology topic for new ASH evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
The ASH Committee on Quality has initiated multiple guideline projects, including ones on venous thromboembolism and immune thrombocytopenia. The next step is to develop guidelines on a malignant hematology disease topic.
ASH is asking for your input. If you are interested in advancing a new ASH guideline effort in malignant hematology, you may provide information about the potential scope of new guidelines, the availability and quality of existing guidelines, and the rationale for ASH investment in these new guidelines on the ASH online community system.
To gain access to the discussion board and nomination form, please contact Kendall Alexander, Clinical Quality Projects Specialist, at [email protected]. The deadline to submit a topic nomination form is August 1, 2016.