Shared decision making for hydroxyurea treatment initiation in children with sickle cell anemia.

Clinical trials have demonstrated hydroxyurea's efficacy in improving health outcomes for children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) who have medical complications. New NHLBI clinical guidelines will recommend offering hydroxyurea to young patients regardless of clinical severity. Shared decision making may be an effective approach for implementing this practice change. Decision aids that help patients/parents feel empowered to make this decision and help providers feel comfortable in discussing hydroxyurea as a preventive treatment may facilitate shared discussions between families and providers. We recommend six strategies providers can use to facilitate these discussions while decision aids and tools are being developed. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:184-185.