Implications of a paediatrician-psychologist tandem for sickle cell disease care and impact on cognitive functioning.

Findings suggest that the concept of a "partnership practice" can improve children's ability to grapple with SCD and is a promising approach for long-term care of SCD. What is Known: • Painful crises of sickle cell disease are unpredictable and appear in early childhood • Stress as well as the complex psychological and intercultural issues associated with SCD may aggravate the children's symptoms • Standard pediatric care and research deal primarily with medical issues What is New: • Evidence-based research examining the psychological repercussions of SCD in pediatric treatment as well as the parental distress • First study using standardized culture-free tools • Cognitive functioning improves under an innovative "partnership" model.