Patients living with SCD may visit the emergency department (ED) during a crisis (an episode of severe pain caused by SCD). Our ED teams work hard to consistently meet the standards put in place by the province to keep physician assessment wait times for SCD patients short.
We have also put measures in place to ensure that patients with SCD are identified and assisted sooner, including:
- Self-identification at the ED kiosk. Our ED registration kiosks include self-identification of SCD patients. This crucial step helps streamline the triage process, ensuring prompt and specialized attention is provided.
- Sickle cell awareness training. Our ED and paediatric nurses complete training to expand their knowledge and understanding of SCD patients, aiming to reduce health inequities and barriers to care.
- Standard treatment plans. The ED team has order sets in place for patients with SCD, which are standardized lists of medical orders used by physicians to ensure consistent and efficient patient care. These lists include instructions for medications, tests, treatments, and other procedures tailored to SCD.
Once a patient with SCD has been identified in the ED, they may be treated there and/or referred to one of our SCD clinics as appropriate. Our mobile SCD team, consisting of a nurse and social worker, may also visit the patient in the ED to ensure their needs are being met and that they are aware of the next steps in their treatment.