Treatment Setting

Some patients prefer to receive most of their care in an outpatient setting, while others may be more appropriately treated in the hospital. This decision will be made by you, your caregiver, your transplant doctor and the transplant team.

Candidates for outpatient treatment must meet the following criteria:

• The patient must live (or have a place to stay during the transplant period) within 20-30 minutes of the hospital.
• The patient's home or care setting must be reasonably clean with functional electricity, hot and cold running water and a telephone.
• The patient must have a trained, responsible, designated adult caregiver(s) who will stay with him or her 24 hours a day from the first day of high-dose chemotherapy throughout the neutropenic period and for as long as the patient requires assistance.
• The patient and caregiver must have 24-hour access to a telephone and private transportation in case of an emergency.
• The patient must not have a physical condition that requires care beyond the abilities of the designated caregiver.
• The patient and caregiver must be able to understand the teaching instructions for outpatient care and must be willing to follow the instructions exactly as prescribed.
• The patient must have adequate emotional stability and support to be treated in an outpatient setting.