A comprehensive program for meeting psychosocial needs of sickle cell anemia patients.

Some of the methods used at the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center are explored. Additional methods must be tried and evaluated with appropriate documentation. A determination of the true effectiveness of the methods used is a major challenge and provides opportunity for further investigation. Certainly the tasks are myriad. Paraphrasing Dr. Marilyn Gaston, "Through effective coordination and communication by a multi-faceted team, improvement of the quality of life with a realistic outlook for the future can be achieved."(1)