Project Grant R01HL178747

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center $830,260 on July 16, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to implement shared decision-making for pediatric sickle cell disease treatment selection.

The project, titled "Implementation of Shared Decision-Making for Sickle Cell Disease (IMPLEMENT-SDM Study)," develops and disseminates a shared decision-making toolkit designed to integrate medical evidence with patient and caregiver preferences in treatment decisions. The toolkit addresses the clinical challenge that new disease-modifying treatments for pediatric sickle cell disease—including hydroxyurea, crizanlizumab, L-glutamine, and gene therapy—present complex trade-offs in mechanisms of action, eligibility criteria, safety and efficacy profiles, and administration methods, yet clinicians often lack training and resources to incorporate patient preferences into these decisions. Pilot work demonstrated that the toolkit increased the proportion of families offered hydroxyurea treatment from 33 percent to 100 percent and reduced decisional conflict among parents. The funded work extends dissemination of the toolkit across nine pediatric sites.

Performance occurs in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a period of performance from July 16, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The assistance type is a Project Grant.