Hospital at Home: An evaluation comparing the psychosocial and medical impacts of hospital and home-based care among pediatric cancer patients

Children diagnosed with cancer undergo complex and intensive chemotherapy treatments that often require repeated hospital visits and admissions. Advancement in technology has now made chemotherapy and other cancer care possible to be administered at home. However, there are currently no formal evaluation comparing these two modes of delivery. Therefore, the proposed study will compare psychosocial (e.g., quality of life, family functioning) and symptom (e.g., pain, nausea) outcomes between children that receive standard care in the hospital and those that receive care at home. This study will help identify which program will best benefit the patient as evaluated through psychosocial and symptom outcomes. By assessing these two modes of delivery for cancer care, we can optimize patient outcomes and reduce the negative symptoms of cancer treatment, which can reduce hospital costs and improve patient satisfaction.

Faculty Supervisor:

Fiona Schulte

Student:

Partner:

Alberta Children’s Hospital

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Calgary

Program: