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

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.