New MiSCDC report to support development of 2025 MDHHS strategic plan for sickle cell disease
Sarah Reeves, Ph.D., M.P.H., and the Michigan Sickle Cell Data Collection (MiSCDC) team compiled a report, Quantitative Assessment of Sickle Cell Disease in Michigan, that was recently published on the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) website. The objective of this report is to inform the 2025 MDHHS strategic plan for sickle cell disease (SCD) by providing quantitative data on people living with SCD in Michigan.
"We leveraged multi-source data from MiSCDC to describe the epidemiology and healthcare utilization of Michigan residents living with sickle cell disease," said Dr. Reeves, an associate professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the U-M Medical School and the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center.
CHEAR staff members Krista Latta, Hannah Peng, Sara Schultz and Michaella Baker also contributed to this report.
According to Dr. Reeves, the topics covered in the report were selected and developed with input from MDHHS, the SCD Strategic Planning Executive Committee and the MiSCDC team. She said that the findings allow for the identification and description of gaps in services, quality of care and opportunities for improvement for people with SCD.
"This report, along with other strategic planning activities such as focus groups with people with SCD and provider surveys, facilitated a better understanding of the needs of the SCD population in Michigan," Dr. Reeves said. "These inputs played significant roles in the development of MDHHS's newly released 5-year strategic plan for SCD."
Dr. Reeves also hopes the report serves as a resource for SCD policymakers, healthcare providers, insurers, researchers and community advocates.
MiSCDC is a longitudinal, population-based public health surveillance system funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 2020. The program is a collaborative effort between CHEAR and MDHHS.