title: Patient and caregiver time burden associated with anaemia treatment in different patient populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cancer patients treated with chemotherapy often develop anaemia. This cross-sectional analysis examined the effect of anaemia treatment on patient and caregiver time and activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis included 9,920 patients from 646 US outpatient oncology centres. Patients completed a survey that contained questions about travel time, total time for the visit and other impacts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean time taken for a single clinic visit to receive anaemia treatment was 2.2 h. On average, patients receiving epoetin alfa required 17.6 h more than patients receiving darbepoetin alfa to complete a course of anaemia treatment. All patients in the study reported that they had to adjust at least one activity as a result of clinic visits. Older patients, women and patients from low-income areas were more likely to be accompanied during clinic visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing the number of clinic visits needed for anaemia treatment by using darbepoetin alfa may benefit patients.
authors: Supportive Oncology Services and Accelerated Community Oncology, Memphis, TN 38138, USA. ahouts@sosacorn.com
authors: Arthur C
authors: AC
authors: Houts
authors: Geoffrey A
authors: GA
authors: Loh
authors: Barry V
authors: BV
authors: Fortner
authors: Joel D
authors: JD
authors: Kallich