In 2023, Ontario Health released the Sickle Cell Disease quality standard to improve
care for people with sickle cell disease. Grounded in clinical guidelines,
lived experience and expert consensus, the quality standard includes eight
quality statements targeting key areas for improvement across the care
continuum.
To assess progress and guide future implementation efforts,
Ontario Health conducted the
Impact Assessment: Provincial Implementation of the Sickle Cell
Disease Quality Standard
. This assessment and the associated infographic showing key insights provides a
comprehensive, data-driven review of implementation strategies employed to date
and supports ongoing quality improvement and sustainability.
Implementation
strategies are centred on the key functions of Ontario Health’s
Integrated Quality Framework:
- Implementation funding to ensure accountability.
- Community of practice to drive knowledge exchange for
quality improvement.
- Implementation toolkit to provide change ideas and
associated tools and resources.
- eReport to foster monitoring and data-driven improvements.
- Digital tools via the Evidence2Practice program to support clinical
decision-making.
Key findings from the Impact Assessment
Many high-level impacts have resulted from the
implementation strategies including:
- A 19 per cent reduction in average time to physician initial
assessment for people with sickle cell disease experiencing vaso-occlusive
acute pain episodes in the emergency department from 2023/24 to 2024/25.
- Strengthened collaboration and increased knowledge among
health care teams via the Sickle Cell Disease Community of Practice and the
implementation toolkit.
- Accelerated adoption of digital tools through
Evidence2Practice, improving care delivery in acute care settings across four
pilot hospital organizations.
- Strengthened implementation and coordination between Ontario
Health, health care teams, and community partners through provincial clinical
leadership.
Lessons learned include:
- Strategic funding enhances equitable access to care,
strengthens clinical relevance, and fosters awareness and engagement across the
health care system.
- Intentional partner engagement and structured collaboration
have been crucial to the successful implementation of the Sickle Cell
Disease quality standard and the ability to scale best practices.
- Leveraging digital tools and data-driven decision-making
empowers health care teams to deliver consistent, evidence-based care.
“Early indicators show that people with lived experience of
sickle cell disease are now reporting better access to timely, appropriate
care,” says Lanre Tunji-Ajayi, President and CEO of the Sickle Cell Awareness
Group of Ontario. “This progress is not only improving quality of life,
but also reducing hospital stays and alleviating pressure on the health care
system, demonstrating a strong return on investment.”
Looking ahead
Despite such a profound impact, gaps still exist as care
delivery remains fragmented between care settings province-wide. To support
better care pathway coordination across the province, we have outlined next
steps for establishing a provincial model of care. This will allow us to
continue to support the delivery of high-quality care for people with sickle
cell disease and drive improvements in health outcomes, patient experience and
overall system performance.
Many opportunities exist to improve care for people with
sickle cell disease. Please review and share the
impact assessment and infographic with your networks to support the continued implementation
of the
Sickle Cell Disease quality standard.
For more information, please contact QualityStandards@OntarioHealth.ca.