A *longitudinal quality of life analysis of patients during the acute phase of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant.

摘要

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life (QOL) experienced by patients receiving autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (APBSCT) during the acute phase of the transplant process. This was a longitudinal study with QOL data collected at pre-transplant (baseline), 10--13 days post-transplant (midpoint) and 27--30 days post-transplant (final). The sample for the study began with 47 participants with 39 participants completing QOL data at all time points. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) was the primary instrument for QOL assessment. Other data collection forms were developed by the researcher. Secondary objectives for this study were to examine scores of FACT-BMT subscales, distinguish whether demographic, disease, or physiological variables predicted for better QOL scores, and to observe the significance of supportive care services to QOL. The majority (73.9%) of study participants were treated in outpatient transplant centers, making the data from this study reflective of the current standard of practice. QOL scores did significantly (p = .0001) change over the acute phase of the transplant process. Baseline QOL average score was 111, midpoint was 102, and final was 110.4. Significant longitudinal changes were noted in means of the physical well-being subscale (p < .0001), emotional well-being subscale (p = .0461), and additional concerns subscale (p = .0499). No demographic or disease variables significantly influenced QOL scores. Analysis did reveal that performance status was negatively correlated with QOL scores (lower performance status with lower QOL). This study adds to the body of knowledge as the sample was comprised of participants during the acute phase of the transplant process who were transplanted primarily in outpatient settings.