An educational symposium for patients with sickle cell disease and their families: results from surveys of knowledge and factors influencing decisions about hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Background: The only available cure for sickle cell disease (SCD) is hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). One important barrier to HSCT in SCD is lack of patient and family knowledge.

Procedure: To improve awareness of HSCT as a curative option for SCD, we hosted half-day educational symposia in 2011 and 2012.