RESUMEN
Éric de Rosny's decentralized approach is of particular interest today for any caregiver who has to deal with people from cultures different from his own. He demonstrates the value of traditional care as a complement to techno-scientific medicine.
RESUMEN
Sickle cell disease (SCD), a life-threatening chronic disease, necessitates a paediatric treatment plan that considers the influence of psychological, family and intercultural factors. At the Louis-Mourier Hospital (APHP) in Colombes, France, we introduced an original paediatric-psychological partnership where a clinical psychologist accompanies the paediatrician at programmed consultations. We evaluated children and their parents treated in Colombes and in two other paediatric units using standardized culture-free tools and clinical interviews to evaluate the psychological repercussions of SCD. We first present a global view of the different ways that SCD affects both children and their families. We then discuss findings from a study evaluating the overall efficacy of an integrated psycho-medical treatment model as compared to the usual medical care model. Children in the integrated care model improved their cognitive functioning assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test compared to treatment as usual. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the concept of a "partnership practice" can improve children's ability to grapple with SCD and is a promising approach for long-term care of SCD. What is Known: ⢠Painful crises of sickle cell disease are unpredictable and appear in early childhood ⢠Stress as well as the complex psychological and intercultural issues associated with SCD may aggravate the children's symptoms ⢠Standard pediatric care and research deal primarily with medical issues What is New: ⢠Evidence-based research examining the psychological repercussions of SCD in pediatric treatment as well as the parental distress ⢠First study using standardized culture-free tools ⢠Cognitive functioning improves under an innovative "partnership" model.