[A Survey on Home Care Needs of Patients with Hematological Diseases]

Home care for patients with hematological diseases is often difficult to coordinate due to the challenges associated with continuous provision of supportive therapies, such as blood transfusions. On the other hand, home care needs of patients with hematological diseases are not clear. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of patients with hematological diseases under home care. Responses were obtained from 605 patients with hematological diseases. Regarding home care, their primary expectation was a reduction in the physical burden caused by hospital visits, while their primary concern was emergency care due to a sudden change in their conditions. More than 90% of the patients stated that they wished to be seen by hematology specialists. In terms of blood transfusions, 53.5% wished to continue receiving a red blood cell transfusion and 53.9% a platelet transfusion at home. Furthermore, 70.9% of the patients stated that palliative chemotherapy was also needed in home care. With respect to emergency care, the highest percentage of patients(56.5%)wanted their home care doctors to treat them first and, if needed, contact their attending doctors at the hospital. This suggests the possibility that "the two-attending doctor system,"a concept that has gained importance in recent years, may also be effective in home care for hematological diseases.