A commentary on patient and caregiver perceptions of home blood transfusions in the United States

Patients with transfusion dependent cytopenias from their hematologic malignancies experience a high burden of care. They often visit the cancer center 2-3 times a week for Complete blood count (CBC) checks and possible transfusions – spending hours of their day traveling for and receiving care. Home blood transfusions, while available in other countries, have not been well established in the United States (US). Recent studies on home blood transfusions in the US focused on individuals at the end of their life, but other studies have suggested that all patients may benefit from such a service. Herein we review a recent manuscript that evaluated patient and caregiver perceptions of the potential for a home blood transfusion program. The study included both those receiving first line and later lines of therapy and demonstrates a benefit for home-based programs in each population. We further discuss barriers to home blood transfusions and considerations in developing a program.