Protective isolation for patients with haematological malignancies: A pilot study investigating patients’ distress and use of time

Background: patients with haematological malignancies are often hospitalized in protective isolation until full neutrophil recovery in order to prevent infections. this descriptive pilot study evaluate the level of isolation-related distress and the use of free time in a sample of italian onco-haematological patients who were hospitalized in protective isolation. materials and methods: participants were 18 patients hospitalized in hematologic ward to receive induction therapy (n=12) or autologous stem cell transplant (n=6). they completed a self-report questionnaire before discharge. results: participants reported a moderate level of isolation-related distress,anxiety,and boredom: the more the anxiety and the boredom,the more the distress (r=.77; p<.001),(r=.79; p<.001),respectively. the activities performed during isolation were: watching tv (72.2%),reading (55.6%),thinking (33.3%),surfing in internet or using pc (33.3%),and playing games or making cross-words (16.7%). participants who reported pessimistic thinking had higher isolation-related distress (p=.004) as well as anxiety (p<.001) and boredom (p=.001). conclusion: haematology units should support isolated patients in spending their time in recreational activities,allowing more contacts with immediate relatives and friends,providing free tv and wi-fi connection inside the room. in addition,patients should have to keep themselves physically active. isolation-related distress could also be reduced by providing psychological support. © 2017 international journal of hematology-oncology and stem cell research,all right reserved.