Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Correspondence
  • Published:

Establishing a BMT support group

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 25, pages 227–228 (2000)Cite this article

Although personal experience suggests BMT support groups are quite commonly found, there is little information concerning them in the medical literature.1 Cancer support groups are widely found, as are disease specific support groups.2 One study suggests that survival is better among patients with end stage renal failure who participated in a patient support group than among those who did not.3 We felt that our experiences in setting up a BMT support group may be of use to others contemplating the same for their hospital.

The Bristol BMT unit has performed over 600 transplants in 11 years (approximately 70% children and 30% adults). The unit specialises in unrelated donor transplantation and receives referrals from all over the United Kingdom and from some international sources. Our computer database identified 92 patients who were over 17 years of age at the time of transplant, who had had a transplant more than 6 months ago. Many of our patients attend the hospital infrequently and it was a challenge to find their current address. We decided that we should write to all patients, asking them if they wanted a support group and what they wanted. We had 32 replies (35%) within 4 weeks. As a measure of their enthusiasm, most respondents not only answered the 10 part questionnaire but wrote brief ‘essays’ to explain further what they wanted.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Patenaude AF, Levinger L, Baker K . Group meetings for parents and spouses of bone marrow transplant patients Soc Work Health Care 1986 12: 51–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lombardo BA, Cave LA, Naso S . Use of a support group for dermatologic patients Cutis 1988 41: 121–123

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Friend R, Singletary Y, Mendell NR, Nurse H . Group participation and survival among patients with end-stage renal disease Am J Pub Health 1986 76: 670–672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Stearns NM . Celebrating life: lessons learned from a bone marrow transplant reunion Cancer Pract 1993 1: 42–48

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Perfitt R . Transplanting hope Nurs Times 1993 89: 48–49

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bristol BMT Unit, United Bristol Healthcare Trust, St Michael's Hill, Bristol, BS2 8BJ, UK

    DI Marks & K Benjamin

Authors
  1. DI Marks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K Benjamin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marks, D., Benjamin, K. Establishing a BMT support group. Bone Marrow Transplant 25, 227–228 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702127

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702127

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links