Returning home after specialist treatment for hematological malignancies: an Australian study

The technologically advanced and specialist nature of the treatments for patients with hematological malignancies necessitate that they are carried out in major metropolitan treating hospitals. Consequently, patients from regional, rural, and remote areas in Queensland, Australia, must relocate, often for lengthy periods of time, for treatment. To date, there has been scant research carried out on what happens to these patients and their families when they return home after such intensive treatments in the metropolitan centers. This article documents recent, seminal work in this area. The findings indicate that these families have many emotional, medical, and practical needs. These needs change over time, depending on the trajectory of the illness.