Volume 8 (2021): Issue 1 (January 2021)

Disease-specific camps present one means of helping children overcome the challenges associated with chronic conditions and improving clinical and psychosocial outcomes. For more than 50 years, bleeding disorders camps (BDCs) in the United States (US) have been promoting independence, self-care, and leadership skills in children with bleeding disorders, all while fostering camaraderie in a secure and safe environment. However, little is known about how BDCs are organised, administered, funded, staffed, or how staff are compensated.

This article aims to describe the attributes of BDCs that service the US bleeding disorders community, and to compare and contrast these attributes to identify gaps in the BDC system and areas for improvement.

The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), in collaboration with several members of its Nursing Working Group and Physical Therapy Working Group, developed a survey that was distributed to BDC administrators (CAs) and health care providers (HCPs).

A total of 101 HCPs and 20 CAs completed the survey. Findings indicated that BDCs are an informal extension of both the HTCs and NHF chapters, reaffirming that camps play a crucial role in the overall care of bleeding disorders. In general, diminishing financial resources threaten the existence of BDCs. Although there are BDC guidelines for formal staff training and specific interventions delivered to camp participants, adherence is variable. Other gaps included minimal self-infusion education follow-up with no documentation on effect or benefit of infusion education provided at camp.

Addressing the gaps identified by this survey and documenting resultant data supporting the value of BDCs will facilitate their continued sustainability in light of increasingly limited funding.

Women with a bleeding disorder (WBD), including those diagnosed as a carrier, often have heavy periods associated with prolonged bleeding and pain. This survey sought to describe the impact of this substantial burden on daily living and the personal cost of managing heavy periods.

An online survey was promoted to women who identify as having a bleeding disorder via the social media of The Haemophilia Society in January and February 2020. The survey included 20 questions about personal data, symptoms and the practicalities of living with a bleeding disorder.

A total of 181 responses were received, of which 151 were complete questionnaires. Of these, 58% of respondents were aged 18–45 and 136 identified as having a bleeding disorder, mostly haemophilia or von Willebrand disease. Thirteen (10%) had been diagnosed as a haemophilia carrier and a further four women were probable carriers. Prolonged or painful periods were reported by the majority of respondents; the median duration of bleeding was 7 days (range 2–42). Thirty-six per cent took time off work or study as a result and 42% reported a negative impact on social life. Eighteen women (13%) reported having to use a combination of sanitary protection products to manage their bleeding. Women diagnosed as a carrier reported morbidity comparable with that of women with a diagnosed bleeding disorder and reported greater use of combinations of sanitary protection.

WBD experience a high prevalence of heavy bleeding and prolonged, painful periods despite using appropriate symptomatic treatment. The impact of heavy periods on women diagnosed as a being a carrier is comparable with that experienced by women with a diagnosed bleeding disorder, but as they are not always clinically recognised they may lack access to care and support.

Pain is recognised as a subjective phenomenon, often defined as ‘whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person says it does’. Pain is a critical aspect of life for many people with haemophilia (PWH) but is under-recognised and inconsistently managed by clinicians. As haemophilia management moves towards non-factor-based treatments which may normalise life experience, it is unclear how this will impact on the experience and management of pain.

The Perceptions of Pain in Haemophilia study aimed to identify the impact of pain on men with haemophilia in the UK.

The study used mixed qualitative research methods (paper-based questionnaires and focus group interviews). Eligible PWH aged >18 years were invited to participate in a focus group to discuss pain, assessment and management. Each focus group discussion was recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Eighteen participants (13 haemophilia A (12 severe) and 5 severe haemophilia B) age range 18–58 years (median 32.5 years) joined focus groups conducted using an online video platform. The majority (95%) were treated with prophylaxis and reported few recent bleeds. Three main themes emerged: the impact of pain, managing pain, and factors influencing the experience of pain. Participants connected their earliest experiences of pain with childhood; it impacted their mental health and wellbeing, daily habits, routines, sports, hobbies, social life, work and education. Participants recognised the difference between the pain of acute bleeds and arthritic pain. Many did not like taking strong analgesics due to side-effects and concerns around addiction. Participants doubted the value of pain scales and noted a lack of empathy and understanding among health care professionals (HCPs), but valued physiotherapists. Participants recognised the value of talking about the negative impact of their pain experiences; however, they reported that family members, who often provided the most support, could not always truly understand their pain.

Pain is ‘normal’ for PWH, who adopt it into part of their everyday life experience. HCPs are ideally placed to impact this experience but seem to lack insight as to the extent of pain and how to manage it beyond prescribing stronger analgesia. The social and psychological implications of chronic pain should be better addressed by HCPs. This includes being cognisant that new therapeutic options will not resolve old pain.

Hereditary factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare bleeding disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance, and FVII deficiency with an inhibitor is extremely rare. There is sparse information in the literature on the management of tooth extraction in patients with FVII deficiency and an inhibitor.

We report the case of a five-year-old child with FVII deficiency and an inhibitor who underwent dental extraction. The child had had multiple bleeding episodes including intracranial haemorrhage and had a history of severe allergic reaction to the infusion of recombinant FVII. The tooth was extracted using lignocaine gel and the antifibrinolytic agent oral tranexamic acid.

The extraction of a deciduous tooth in a patient with FVII deficiency and an inhibitor was undertaken without bleeding complications. There are currently no guidelines regarding management of this type of case. Further studies and evidence are required so that management can be standardised.

Gene therapy for haemophilia is in late-stage clinical development and has the potential to become a therapeutic option in clinical practice.

To enhance the understanding of the perspectives of people with haemophilia around gene therapy, and to highlight their concerns about and motivations for having gene therapy.

Structured, qualitative interviews were conducted and recorded with six people who had received an investigational gene therapy product. The recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed.

Most of those interviewed were under the age of 40, and the mean time out from their gene therapy infusion was 10 months. Adverse events were the main concerns pre-infusion, and impact on quality of life was the main motivating factor for choosing to go ahead. Pre-infusion, the treating centre and the health care professionals working there were the main source of information regarding gene therapy; only two participants looked elsewhere for information to support their decision. None of the respondents expressed concerns about the infusion day itself, and all found the infusion to be simple or uneventful. Post-infusion, four found the frequency of follow-up appointments difficult, with time and travel the main issues.

Although participants' perspectives on gene therapy were generally positive, there remains a need for education and support. Nurses will play an important role in the delivery of gene therapy for haemophilia, but all staff within the haemophilia treatment centre should be armed with the knowledge and confidence to answer questions about gene therapy.

Regular follow-up visits and routine care is important for people with a mild bleeding disorder in terms of lowering their risk of complications from untreated bleeds and helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, follow-up visits among this population can sometimes be missed for unclear reasons.

The present study aimed to question if lost-to-follow-up patients with a bleeding disorder experience unreported but important bleeding events that are not communicated to their haemophilia treatment centre (HTC) and if they could benefit from more frequent clinic visits.

A multicentre paper-based cross-sectional survey was sent to people diagnosed with an inherited blood disorder and lost to follow-up for two years or more. Those who met the eligibility criteria received the survey by mail and completed and returned it to their HTC between October 2015 and July 2016.

Invitation packages were sent to 71 individuals; 14 questionnaires returned, with a survey response rate of 19.7%. Of the 14 returned surveys, only 11 participants were eligible who either responded completely or partially to the survey. Quality of life was reported as almost never or never a problem by all but one participant, who limited activities due to bleeding problems. Spontaneous nosebleeds were sometimes, often or always a problem for three participants; one female participant reported issues associated with heavy menstrual bleeding as often or almost always a problem.

We concluded that although the mean annual bleeding self-reported events were relatively low, they cannot be underestimated when keeping in mind the limitations and challenges of accessing data among this population. Our study highlighted the importance of educating this group of patients on their bleeding disorder and engaging them in their own care and health status, which may result in improving their health-related quality of life and overall health outcomes.

Haemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterised by spontaneous bleeding, often leading to impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Commonly used treatments include episodic and prophylactic treatment regimens. Gene therapies could soon become available, potentially creating a paradigm shift in patient management.

This paper proposes hypotheses about the potential impact of gene therapy on HRQoL domains in haemophilia, and how these impacts might differ compared with existing treatments.

An expert working group with 10 individuals experienced in haemophilia and HRQoL research was established to discuss potential impacts of gene therapy on HRQoL in general and for specific domains in haemophilia. As part of a one-day workshop, domains of three widely used patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments were explored: the Haemo-QoL-A, the Patient Reported Outcomes, Burden and Experiences (PROBE), and the Haemophilia Activities List (HAL).

The group expected a greater improvement in HRQoL from gene therapy compared with existing treatments for the following domains: physical/role functioning, worry, and consequences of bleeding (Haemo-QoL-A); haemophilia-related health and EQ-5D-5L (part of the PROBE); leg and arm function, and leisure activities (HAL). In contrast, the experts suggested that no change or potential deterioration might be observed for the emotional impact (HAL) and treatment concerns (Haemo-QoL-A) domains.

Current PRO instruments in haemophilia have limitations when applied in the context of gene therapy, and no single instrument fully captures the relevant HRQoL domains. However, the PROBE and Haemo-QoL-A were considered as the most suitable existing instruments. As haemophilia treatments evolve, further research should examine the potential effectiveness of existing PRO instruments as compared to the development of novel PRO measures.

Current treatment for severe haemophilia includes prophylactic factor replacement to prevent bleeding. Coagulation factor products have significant inter-patient variability in pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters. Optimal management requires tailoring prophylaxis to individual PK parameters. Web-based Application for the Population Pharmacokinetic Service (WAPPS) is a tool that estimates individual PK values using a population approach. Despite its growing use to help guide dosing selection, few studies have investigated its clinical impact.

To investigate any change in prophylaxis regimen and hours per week where factor level is under 1%, pre- and post-PK testing using WAPPS, for paediatric patients with severe haemophilia.

A retrospective chart review was conducted for all paediatric patients with severe haemophilia receiving care between April 2013 and July 2018 at McMaster Children's Hospital who have used WAPPS. Data extracted included: patient demographics, PK data generated by WAPPS, prophylaxis regimen pre- and post-PK testing, and reason for regimen change. The number of hours per week where factor level was under 1% pre- and post-PK testing was calculated using WAPPS.

Thirty-one patients were included; 42% (n=13) changed their prophylaxis regimen after PK testing. After using PK data to personalise prophylaxis recommendations, there was a decrease in the number of hours per week where factor level is under 1% (from an average of 13.1 hours/week to 11.8 hours/week), though not statistically significant (p=0.16).

PK data generated by WAPPS has direct impact by informing changes to prophylaxis recommendations. This individualised approach promotes patient-centred care and patient engagement without increasing the time spent with factor levels below 1%. It also confirms and validates clinical practice.

Previous research has shown that bone mineral density (BMD), a measure of bone strength, may be lower among people with haemophilia. However, the majority of this research has been done in adults and in countries where the treatment for haemophilia differs from the standard of care in Canada, and there is a lack of paediatric data.

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether Canadian children and youth with severe haemophilia A and B have BMD similar to healthy controls matched for height, age and weight (HAW-score). Secondary objectives included the exploration of any association between BMD and the following variables: factor replacement regimen, Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS), bleeding history, physical activity level, and dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and protein.

A cross-sectional observational study was designed to determine the BMD of children with severe haemophilia A and B in Canada. Ethical approvals were obtained from participating institutions. Thirty-eight participants aged 3–18 with severe haemophilia A and B were recruited from two treatment centres in Canada. Subjects underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, and data was collected from regular clinic visit to identify factor replacement regimen, HJHS, and number of joint bleeds over the lifespan. Physical activity level and dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and protein were identified using self-report questionnaires.

Participants showed a mean spine BMD Z-score and HAW-score higher than controls, with no participants showing a spine Z-score or HAW-score of <0. Hip BMD score was within normal range, and 2 participants had a Z-score and HAW-score of <−2. Total body BMD score was lower than controls, with 6 participants having a Z-score of <−2.0, and 3 participants having a HAW-score of <−2.0. Factor replacement regimen, HJHS, calcium intake, and physical activity level had no relationship to BMD Z-score or HAW-score. Low intake of vitamin D was associated with a low hip and spine BMD Z-score and HAW-score. Participants with a HJHS joint score greater than 0 had a higher total body HAW-score than those who had a joint score of 0.

Canadian children with severe haemophilia A and B demonstrate differences in spine and total body BMD from height-, age-, and weight-matched controls, where spine BMD is higher than controls and total body BMD is lower than controls. Studies with a larger sample size are needed to clarify the status of BMD in children with haemophilia treated with primary prophylaxis.

Patients with haemophilia require regular assessments and physical examinations. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid adoption of telemedicine to enable virtual consultations and reduce hospital visits. However, the process of virtual consultations is new to many haemophilia clinics. A better understanding of best practices in telemedicine is important to ensure optimal quality of care for patients with haemophilia.

To summarise the current literature on the use of direct-to-consumer telemedicine for patients with haemophilia and to describe the effectiveness and potential limitations of the technology and methods used.

A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases using terms referring to the concepts “haemophilia” AND “telemedicine” and their synonyms. There were no time or language restrictions. Title, abstracts, and full texts were screened. Included articles involved telemedicine interventions to facilitate clinical services directly between patients and providers without the use of third-party personnel. The primary outcome was the satisfaction of providers and patients. Secondary outcomes included economic considerations and clinical outcomes. Information was extracted based on study-specific, patient-specific, intervention-specific, and outcome-specific data.

Of the 925 articles screened, six were identified and summarised. Three described telemedicine within the context of COVID-19. Technologies used included telephone calls, videoconferencing, text messaging, and email. All studies involved a multidisciplinary team. Telemedicine in haemophilia care was found to positively impact the patient experience. Providers were satisfied with telemedicine. It was also suggested to be economically beneficial and positively impacted patient outcomes. However, none of the articles reported on how telemedicine was specifically used to perform assessments during the virtual consultation process.

There is preliminary evidence that telemedicine may be beneficial in haemophilia care. Overall, patients and providers reported high satisfaction with the usage of direct-to-consumer telemedicine. This positive reception warrants improvements in standardisation of reporting and quality of study design to better assess its clinical and economic impact. Developing a standard guideline for virtual consultations would support healthcare practitioners in how to best incorporate telemedicine to improve quality of care.

Some clinicians believe that haemophilia B is associated with less bleeding than haemophilia A, yet there appears to be little difference in health-related outcomes. Current clinical practice reduces the risk of bleeds, making differences difficult to measure. We surveyed specialist haemophilia nurses to discern their opinions about the impact of haemophilia B compared to haemophilia A.

Between July and September 2020, European and Canadian nurses were invited to complete an online survey (25 questions) about perceptions of management and treatment of haemophilia B.

Fifty-nine nurses (46 European, 13 Canadian) completed the survey. Bleeding was reported as different in haemophilia B by 37% of respondents, and treatment as different by over half. Opinions and experience around using extended half-life (EHL) products varied. Self-reported confidence in using EHL products was rated at a mean of 7.1 (range 3–10) with 47% believing these would remain the optimal treatment in 2025.

Some nurses believe haemophilia A and B are managed differently. Variations in experience and levels of confidence in the use of EHL products, combined with a belief that these products will remain an optimal treatment for haemophilia B for the next five years, indicates a need for education to promote confidence and competence.

Emicizumab is a bispecific monoclonal antibody approved in the United States (US) for the treatment of people with haemophilia A (PwHA) with or without factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors. Changes to haematologists’ practices since the approval of emicizumab are of interest to the haemophilia A community.

To identify the clinical characteristics of PwHA receiving emicizumab (PwHArE) in the real-world setting and gain insight into the disease management practices of haematologists treating PwHArE.

In total, 50 haematologists across the US completed a one-time, 30-minute, online, qualitative survey consisting of 55 questions (including 11 screening questions) in May 2019. Haematologists were required to be board-certified in haematology, practising in the US, ≥2 years post-residency experience, and currently treating ≥3 PwHA with emicizumab.

Haematologists reported their PwHArE were mostly adults (aged ≥18 years; 66%) with severe phenotypes (66%), with and without FVIII inhibitors. Haematologists perceived that PwHArE had similar or better treatment adherence (40% and 50%, respectively) compared with PwHA on other treatments, sought the same or lower levels of routine care (72% and 14%, respectively), and were similarly or more physically active (52% and 32%, respectively). Additionally, most haematologists currently using immune tolerance induction (ITI) in PwHArE reported using lower doses of FVIII (73%) and shorter durations (45%) for ITI.

Availability of emicizumab has resulted in changes in the care of PwHArE, including bleed management, FVIII monitoring, activity guidance, surgery, and use of ITI. Understanding patterns of disease management can inform clinical care.

Haemophilia has been associated with increased prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) which in turn may aggravate haemophilic arthropathy. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the gold standard for assessing BMD but is not widely available across India. Markers of bone turnover like bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-ALP) reflect osteoblastic turnover and may be surrogate to low BMD.

To evaluate how bone health in people with haemophilia (PWH) can be assessed by serum vitamin D3 and b-ALP level, correlated with the degree of arthropathy.

In this cross-sectional study, people with haemophilia A and B of all severities with arthropathy involving ≥3 joints were included. The number of joints affected by haemophilic arthropathy was recorded. Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) and Pettersson score were calculated for each patient. Levels of serum calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3 and b-ALP were assayed in all cases.

A total of 320 PWH were included; the majority (85%; 272/320) had severe haemophilia, 13.44% (43/320) moderate haemophilia and 1.56% (5/320) mild haemophilia. With increasing age, the number of joints involved increased significantly (r=0.2250, p<0.05). When adjusted for age, b-ALP was higher than normal for the majority of PWH (88.75%). Increased number of joints involved and severity of disease had a positive correlation with higher-than-normal b-ALP (adjusted for age) (r=0.2112, p=0.0001). A significant positive correlation was seen between Pettersson score and HJHS score (r=0.1126, p=0.04). There was no significant correlation between number of joints involved and serum vitamin D3 level across the whole cohort. (p<0.05).

PWH with severe disease and haemophilic arthropathy have higher than normal b-ALP, which in turn reflects increased bone turn over and low BMD. Hence, b-ALP may be a useful marker to help assess bone health in PWH, particularly in settings where access to DEXA scans is constrained.