An education program to increase teacher knowledge about sickle cell disease

This program evaluated the effectiveness of a sickle cell disease (SCD) education program for teachers of students with SCD in their classroom. Teachers with students in a remediation program for students participated in an educational program consisiting of four domains: Inheritance and Prevalence, Common Complications, Strokes, and Individual Education Plans (IEP). A 30- to 45-minute presentation was given with a pretest and posttest. Eighty-one teachers who taught grades K-12 completed the program. Most teachers understood the complications of fever and pain, risks of strokes occurring at any age, and the purpose of IEPs. Overall the rate of correct answers increased from 72.5% to 83.1%, p = 0.0001. Teachers improved their understanding of heredity (32% vs. 66%, p = 0.0001), prevalence (81% vs. 94%, p = 0.039), silent stroke diagnosis (21% vs. 80%, p = 0.0001) and overt stroke therapy (40% vs. 75%, p = 0.0001). No significant impact on teacher knowledge occurred for the contents of IEPs (80% vs. 87%, p = 0.227). Teachers of students with SCD increased knowledge about SCD following the program.