Understanding the financial and psychological impact of employment disruption among caregivers of pediatric HSCT recipients: a mixed methods analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) confers a substantial financial burden onto patients' families. In addition to high direct medical costs, HSCTs typically require at least one caregiver to take time away from work or other responsibilities, often leading to reduced household income. Using mixed methods, we sought to understand the impact of pediatric HSCT on caregiver employment and financial need.

Methods

We surveyed caregivers of living pediatric patients who underwent HSCT at one of two southeastern transplant centers between 2012 and 2018 (N = 95). We then interviewed a subset of caregivers (N = 18) to understand whether and how employment disruption contributed to financial distress.

Results

Among caregivers surveyed, the majority

SUBMITTER: Biddell CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8821838 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature