title: Health-related quality of life anticipated with different management strategies for paediatric febrile neutropaenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe (1) anticipated health-related quality of life during different strategies for febrile neutropaenia (FN) management and (2) attributes of those preferring inpatient management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents were parents of children 0-18 years and children 12-18 years receiving cancer treatment. Anticipated health-related quality of life was elicited for four different FN management strategies: entire inpatient, early discharge, outpatient oral and outpatient intravenous (i.v.) therapy. Tools used to measure health-related quality of life were visual analogue scale (VAS), willingness to pay and time trade off.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 155 parents and 43 children participated. For parents, median VAS scores were highest for early discharge (5.9, interquartile range 4.4-7.2) and outpatient i.v. (5.9, interquartile range 4.4-7.3). For children, median scores were highest for early discharge (6.1, interquartile range 4.6-7.2). In contrast, the most commonly preferred strategy for parents and children was inpatient in 55.0% and 37.2%, respectively. Higher current child health-related quality of life was associated with a stronger preference for outpatient management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early discharge and outpatient i.v. management are associated with higher anticipated health-related quality of life, although the most commonly preferred strategy was inpatient care. This data may help with determining more cost-effective strategies for paediatric FN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Teuffel
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ethier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diorio
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Regier
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wing
authors.forename: S M H
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alibhai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life