Guidelines for the Self-Management of People Subjected to Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantations

Abstract

Objective: to know meanings and demands for the self-management of home-based care for Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant recipients and to discuss these demands with nurses, aiming at proposing guidelines. Method: a qualitative study based on the convergent care research study developed between December 2020 and August 2021 in a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Service from Juiz de Fora - Minas Gerais, carried out in two stages: semi-structured interview and small group discussion. 17 people participated in the study: 12 transplanted individuals and five nurses. Data analysis was supported by the Iramuteq software and by the synthesis and theorization proposed by convergent care research. Results: in Stage 1, performed with transplanted patients, six classes emerged that were interpreted in four subcorpuses and pointed out the meanings and demands for self-management. In Stage 2, performed with nurses, the demands found in Stage 1 were submitted to reflection in the discussion group and ratified. Based on the findings, the guidelines to meet the health self-management demands of transplanted people were as follows: professional monitoring, adherence to the treatment, maintenance of the prescribed care measures, search for guidelines and information, implications of the diagnosis, restoration of immunity, inclusion in the job market, physical limitations, and changes in everyday habits. Conclusion: the guidelines proposed reflect the understanding of the needs experienced for an individual to adapt to the health/disease process in the post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation phase, and express the importance of carrying out strategies that promote self-management.