Perceptions and Experiences of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Lathika Mohanraj, R K Elswick, Molly Buch and 2 others
PMID 35379527WHAT IT FOUND
HCT patients reported distress from limited socializing and activity, worry about COVID-19, and most could get care for transplant complications.
Many were likely to use televisits and said precautions were easy.
Key findings
01Ability to socialize was reported by 80% and usual physical activity by 54% as distress concerns; worry was reported by 56% and fear by 48%.
02Most participants could access care for transplant complications (98%), but 28% received less routine or preventive care than usual.
03Participants were worried about getting sick (93%) and family infection (91%), but 79% agreed precautions were easy to follow.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Single site, convenience sample of 54 analysed participants, so results may not apply to other transplant centers or patient groups. Participants were at different phases of transplant, making it hard to separate pandemic effects from transplant stage. No pre-pandemic anxiety, depression, coping, or distress data were collected, so change over time cannot be established. Self-report online survey; exact completion time was unknown and only patient-reported outcomes were measured. Regional policies and infection prevention restrictions varied, so access and adherence findings may not generalise.
Declared interests
No specific grant funding was reported, and the authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported distress, anxiety, and depression as caused by the pandemic or as proof that any supportive care intervention worked. The study had no pre-pandemic comparison, no treatment assignment, and only described patients' self-reported experiences.