Telemedicine for Children With Sickle Cell Disease

June 15, 2026 updated by: Seethal Jacob, MD, MS, Indiana University

Telemedicine for Pediatric Sickle Cell Patients in Medically Underserved Areas

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how the use of two different types of telemedicine (distance medical care) can address barriers to receiving comprehensive sickle cell care, and whether care can be improved. Aim 1: Adapt two telemedicine models (i.e., hub-and-spoke; direct-to-consumer) for use with children with SCD using caregiver input from our preliminary K12 work. Aim 2: Demonstrate the feasibility of the telemedicine models developed in Aim 1 as the models undergo successive stakeholder refinement during use in actual clinical care. Aim 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of the refined models from Aim 2 in a pre/post study by assessing (a) process of care measures, (b) provider satisfaction, (c) caregiver/patient-centered outcomes, and (d) clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
24

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Seethal Jacob, MD
  • Phone Number: 317-278-9662
  • Email: seejacob@iu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Indiana University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 21 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Caregivers must be 18 years or older, who have children between 0 to 21 years old with a diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease and receive care at the Riley Hospital for Children Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease clinic.
  • Adolescent patients 16 years and older are also able to participate in interviews/surveys.
  • The family must be willing to receive their care using the telemedicine model available to them based on the location of their primary residence.
  • TeleSCD model participants must live within 1 hour of the pre-identified telemedicine sites, while VirtualSCD model participants must live within the city limits of the pre-identified area.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • If a patient receives chronic transfusion therapy, they will not be eligible to participate, as our telemedicine models will not support this.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Hub and Spoke
Other: Types of Telemedicine Delivery Models
Each arm delivers standard sickle cell care using a different model based on patient location.
Active Comparator: Direct to Consumer
Other: Types of Telemedicine Delivery Models
Each arm delivers standard sickle cell care using a different model based on patient location.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Measuring adherence to appointment in sickle cell care.
Time Frame: 1 year
Failed appointments in Electronic Medical Record - no more than one failed appointment during pilot year.
1 year
Measuring adherence to lab draws in sickle cell care.
Time Frame: 6 months
Adherence to lab draws - a minimum of one complete blood count per six months.
6 months
Measuring healthcare utilization pre and post telemedicine participation.
Time Frame: 1 year
Will determine the frequency of 1) vasoocclusive pain episode; 2) acute chest syndrome; 3) Emergency department visits; 4) hospitalizations. This data will be collected through chart abstraction from Electronic Medical Record one year prior to study entry and one year on study.
1 year
Measuring collaboration of primary care provider and subspecialty care provider.
Time Frame: 1 year
Documentation of Primary Care Provider communication of visits in the electronic medical record at least 70% of the time.
1 year
Provider Feedback
Time Frame: 1 year
Telemedicine Acceptance Questionnaire (TAQ) - will be given to all providers participating in telemedicine visits after every telemedicine visit. 0-5 Likert scale
1 year
Caregiver feedback
Time Frame: 1 year
Telemedicine satisfaction survey (TESS) - administered to caregivers following each telemedicine visit. 0-5 Likert scale
1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indiana University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Seethal Jacob, MD, Indiana University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 15, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 8, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2101344406
  • 1K23HL143162-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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