Purpose: To explore patient, caregiver, and clinician perspectives on palliative care for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Participants & setting: 8 patients who had undergone or would undergo HSCT, 4 caregivers, and 16 HSCT clinicians.
Methodologic approach: This qualitative, interpretive descriptive study used semistructured interviews conducted via telephone or videoconference.
Findings: Responses were categorized into the following two themes: concerns and challenges during and after HSCT, and tensions with integrating palliative care into HSCT.
Implications for nursing: The findings from this study highlight the unique and varied needs of patients and their caregivers during and after HSCT. More research is required to determine how to best integrate palliative care in this setting.
Keywords: caregivers; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; palliative care; quality of life.