Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Informal Care in Hematologic Malignancy Patients: a Study Based on Different Phases of the Treatment, Spain

Background: There is little information on factors related to use of to informal care in cancer patients. Our objective is to study sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with use of informal care in patients with hematologic malignancy and analyze how these changes throughout different phases of the treatment. Methods: 139 patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancy who received an haematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 2006-2011 in two Spanish hospitals completed the developed postal questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyse the factors associated with use of informal care each of four phases of the treatment (pretransplant, first year, second and third year, and from the fouth to sixth year postransplant). Dependent variable was receive vs. not receive informal care. Results: Patients diagnosed with acute leukemia had higher probability of receiving informal care during pretransplant period (OR=6.394) and during the second and third year postransplantation (OR=42.212). In the long-term (4-6 years), multiple myeloma patients were the ones who required more informal care (OR=15.977). Health status was statistically significant during all phases. Being male (OR=0.263), having partner (OR=0.137) and being employed (OR=0.110) were associated with lower likelihood of receiving informal care in the long-term. Conclusions: Over 75% of patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancy received informal care during pretrasplant and first year postransplant. Type of diagnosis and health status are decisive factors in the probability of receiving informal care at all phases, while the type of transplantation is not. Sociodemografic factors are relevant in the long-term.