ASH Choosing Wisely Recommendation Makes the ABIM Top 12
The Choosing Wisely® campaign, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, encourages clinicians to reduce overuse of tests, procedures, and treatments that may not benefit patients. The ABIM Foundation identified a list of 12 recommendations that drove the largest decreases in waste since the program's inception, including one from ASH:
In-patient blood utilization: Don't transfuse more than the minimum number of red blood cell (RBC) units necessary to relieve symptoms of anemia or to return a patient to a safe hemoglobin range (7 to 8 g/dL in stable, non-cardiac in-patients).
Learn more about ASH's Choosing Wisely recommendations at hematology.org/choosingwisely.
Celebrating World Sickle Cell Day
June 19 marks World Sickle Cell Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to increase awareness about Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). In 2016 ASH launched a multifaceted initiative to address the burden of SCD in the United States and globally. The Society also made SCD and sickle cell trait research one of its research and policy priorities:
Research
The society is currently exploring opportunities to enhance SCD clinical research to:
- Improve outcomes for people with SCD
- Facilitate innovative approaches to clinical trials research
- Expedite drug development
Last year, ASH announced plans to develop a registry that will harness the power of big data to conquer blood diseases worldwide. SCD is one of the initial focuses of this research-focused registry. The Society is also developing and implementing five new clinical practice guidelines on the management of acute and chronic complications of SCD.
Policy
ASH works with federal agencies and the U.S. Congress to help enhance and expand government activities in SCD research, training, and services. ASH is working with congressional champions to raise awareness about SCD on Capitol Hill, to have legislation introduced to strengthen current federal SCD programs, and to increase funding for federal SCD programs. ASH also continues to encourage the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test innovative payment models for SCD care delivered by health-care professionals.
ASH founded the SCD Coalition, which brings together public health, research, and provider organizations; patient groups; federal agencies; industry representatives; and foundations to amplify the voice of the SCD stakeholder community, promote awareness, and improve outcomes.
Learn more about ASH's comprehensive SCD initiative at hematology.org/scd.
A Focus on Well-Being and Resilience
To help build a strong workforce of clinicians, researchers, and other health care providers, ASH has launched a webpage dedicated to well-being and resilience. Well-being is a critical factor in the strength of the hematology workforce, and the Society is committed to addressing the myriad factors contributing to burnout.
The webpage will be updated continuously with links to resources, advice on how to advocate on behalf of hematologists to streamline administrative work, and shared approaches to building resilience.
Resources include information about the ASH Practice Partnership, which comprises practicing hematologists across the U.S. who are interested in hematology care issues, quality of care, new health care delivery systems, and practice management issues. There are also links to articles about burnout in ASH publications, such as "Beating Burnout: When Clinicians are Overworked, Overtired, and Overwhelmed" in the September 2015 issue of ASH Clinical News, and images from the Resilience Whiteboard Wall at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.
Find these resources and more at hematology.org/resilience.