Objectives: To estimate the patient burden in terms of the time spent on outpatient red blood cell (RBC) transfusions indicated for chemotherapy induced-anaemia (CIA) in patients with cancer in France.
Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with cancer receiving an outpatient RBC transfusion was conducted at seven treatment centres in France. Total treatment time for one transfusion visit per patient was measured as the elapsed time between pre- and post-transfusion vital sign assessment, including time from transfusion start to stop. Elapsed time from haemoglobin (Hb) level testing to transfusion start and from blood draw for compatibility testing to transfusion start were recorded. In addition, estimated travel time and distance to the transfusion centre, and clinical and demographic information were collected.
Results: A total of 103 patients [63.1% men; mean age 66.2 years, standard deviation (SD) 11.9] were enrolled in the study (1 August 2010-31 October 2010). The four most frequent diagnoses were lung cancer (31.1%), urological cancer (15.5%), gynecological cancer (14.6%) and gastrointestinal/colorectal cancer (14.6%). Mean elapsed time between prevital and postvital sign assessment was 4.0 h [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-6.1], including a mean of 3.4 h (95% CI 2.5-4.2) for the transfusion itself. Hb level testing (mean pre-transfusion Hb level 8.0 g/dl, SD 0.8) and blood draw for compatibility testing were completed in a mean of 28.8 h (95% CI 1.3-56.2) and 9.4 h (95% CI 0-21.4) prior to transfusion respectively. Patients' one-way mean travel time to the transfusion centre was 32.9 min (95% CI 28.5-37.4) and mean distance travelled was 25.4 km (95% CI 11.6-39.3).
Conclusion: In France, CIA treatment with RBC transfusion is a time-consuming activity for patients that includes multiple trips to a medical facility, blood testing and the transfusion procedure itself. This burden is important to consider in the context of optimizing proactive monitoring and planning for supportive oncology care.
Keywords: anaemia; chemotherapy; patient burden; red blood cell transfusion.