The financial requirements and time commitments of caregivers  for
autologous
stem cell transplant recipients.

Meehan KR,  Fitzmaurice T, Root L, Kimtis E, Patchett L, Hill J.
Bone Marrow Transplant  Program, Section of Hematology/Oncology,
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center,  Norris Cotton Cancer Center, One
Medical Center
Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.  Kenneth.Meehan@Hitchcock.org

This study is a prospective evaluation of  the time commitment and financial
requirements of caregivers of autologous stem  cell recipients during the
period of inpatient hospitalization. Eligible  patients identified one
caregiver,
and a one-page survey addressing the  necessary time commitment and
out-of-pocket expenses was completed by the  caregiver at each visit.The
caregivers of
40 patients participated  (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [n = 19], multiple myeloma
[n
= 18], Hodgkin's lymphoma  [n = 2], or acute myelogenous leukemia [n = 1]).
Caregivers included spouses (n  = 35), partners/friends (n = 2), or family
members (n = 3). Results were  summarized for the patient's total length of
stay.
Each caregiver traveled a  median of 829 miles over 17.8 hours.
Out-of-pocket
expenses varied greatly  depending on whether a caregiver stayed in local
accommodations (cohort 1; n =  11) or in the patient's hospital room (cohort
2; n
= 29).Total expenses (median)  for each caregiver in cohort 1 were dollar
849.35, including accommodations  (dollar 560), gasoline (dollar 87.35), and
food
(dollar 202).Total expenses  (median) for each caregiver in cohort 2 were
dollar 181.15, including gasoline  (dollar 70) and food (dollar 111.15).
Each
caregiver in cohort 1 lost a median  of 43.5 hours of work compared with 8
hours
for each caregiver in cohort 2.The  results from this prospective study
demonstrate that there is a significant  financial and time requirement on
the part
of the caregiver when a family member  or significant other is hospitalized
for
an autologous stem cell  transplant.

PMID: 16669462 [PubMed - in  process]