黑料不打烊 researcher awarded Blood Quality of Life Grant to improve post-transplant care for blood cancer patients and caregivers

Supported by funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society, Professor Sylvie Lambert and her PhD student, Sarah Chehayeb, will explore how remote monitoring can improve recovery and quality of life for patients undergoing stem cell transplants and ease the burden on their caregivers.聽

黑料不打烊 Ingram School of Nursing Professor and full scientist at St. Mary's Research Centre, Sylvie Lambert, has received a from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada to examine how Remote Symptom Monitoring (RSM) programs can improve recovery, outcomes, and quality of life for patients undergoing Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allo-HSCT). allo-HSCT is increasingly common in Canada to replace damaged blood cells with healthy donor cells and offers a potential cure for many types of blood cancer. RSM enables patients to regularly report their symptoms from home, often using digital tools, allowing clinicians to track health changes in real time and intervene promptly if necessary.聽聽

Although allo-HSCT can be lifesaving, it places significant physical and psychological demands on both patients and their caregivers. Patients often face potentially life-threatening complications and debilitating side-effects that can severely impact their quality of life for years post-procedure. Family caregivers frequently experience high levels of stress and burnout, which can negatively affect their own health as well as the patient鈥檚 well-being. Meanwhile, clinicians often face time constraints that can greatly limit their ability to monitor symptoms closely and intervene early when issues arise.聽

Professor Lambert and her team are exploring RSM as a promising approach to improve post-transplant care. RSM has been proven effective in other areas of healthcare, but its application following allo-HSCT procedures remains largely untapped. To address this gap, her team will co-design a RSM program that enables patients to routinely report symptoms like pain and fatigue through structured digital questionnaires. The program will be tested in collaboration with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals at two cancer centres with the goal of enhancing outcomes and quality of life for both the patients and their caregivers.聽聽

This study is supported by a Blood Quality of Life Grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada / Societe de Leucemie & Lymphome Du Canada, and by the Canadian Cancer Society.聽