Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) face unique challenges related to social determinants of health that significantly impact their treatment access and outcomes. Geographic distance from specialized treatment centers creates substantial barriers, as patients require frequent monitoring, blood transfusions, and urgent medical attention throughout their treatment course. Unlike solid tumor patients who might visit clinic every few weeks, AML patients often need care multiple times weekly, making transportation and proximity to treatment facilities critical factors in treatment success.
The intensive nature of AML care creates particular hardships for patients with limited social support, inadequate housing, or financial constraints. Patients must navigate complex treatment regimens while managing the physical and emotional stress of a life-threatening diagnosis, often becoming primary caregivers’ full-time responsibility. The immunocompromised state that results from both the disease and its treatment requires patients to limit social interactions and maintain strict infection precautions, leading to isolation that can significantly impact mental health and treatment adherence.
Health care teams increasingly recognize that addressing social determinants requires comprehensive support beyond medical treatment alone. Patients benefit from early integration of palliative care services to help manage symptoms, reduce anxiety, and improve quality of life throughout the treatment journey. Sexual health concerns, while understudied in leukemia patients, represent an important quality of life issue that deserves attention and support. Successful AML care requires coordinated efforts to address transportation barriers, provide psychosocial support, ensure adequate nutrition, and maintain patients’ connection to their support systems while managing the demands of intensive treatment protocols.
Social Determinants to AML Treatment Approach
Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS
Panelists discuss how social determinants of health significantly impact AML care, particularly regarding transportation access, health literacy, and the intensive nature of treatment requiring frequent clinic visits for blood work and transfusions, which disproportionately affects patients living far from treatment centers.
EP: 1.Overview of Pathophysiology of and Progression of AML
EP: 2.Risk Classification Systems in AML
EP: 3.Key Patient Factors to Consider in AML Treatment Decisions
EP: 4.Provider Perspectives on Biggest Unmet Needs in AML Care
EP: 5.Social Determinants to AML Treatment Approach
EP: 6.Latest NCCN Guidelines on the Standard of Care for Patients With AML
EP: 7.Patient Eligibility for Transplant, Induction, and Consolidation in AML Treatment
EP: 8.Venetoclax and the Impact on Management of Older Patients With AML
EP: 9.Combination Therapies in AML Treatment Approach
EP: 10.Tracking the Shifting Treatment Landscape of AML
EP: 11.Expert Perspectives on IDH Inhibitors in AML Treatment
EP: 12.Managing Toxicities in Patients With AML
EP: 13.Comparing Safety and Efficacy of Novel AML Agents Against Established Regimens
EP: 14.Newly Diagnosed Patients With AML: Discussing Implications of Recent Trial Results
Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) face unique challenges related to social determinants of health that significantly impact their treatment access and outcomes. Geographic distance from specialized treatment centers creates substantial barriers, as patients require frequent monitoring, blood transfusions, and urgent medical attention throughout their treatment course. Unlike solid tumor patients who might visit clinic every few weeks, AML patients often need care multiple times weekly, making transportation and proximity to treatment facilities critical factors in treatment success.
The intensive nature of AML care creates particular hardships for patients with limited social support, inadequate housing, or financial constraints. Patients must navigate complex treatment regimens while managing the physical and emotional stress of a life-threatening diagnosis, often becoming primary caregivers’ full-time responsibility. The immunocompromised state that results from both the disease and its treatment requires patients to limit social interactions and maintain strict infection precautions, leading to isolation that can significantly impact mental health and treatment adherence.
Health care teams increasingly recognize that addressing social determinants requires comprehensive support beyond medical treatment alone. Patients benefit from early integration of palliative care services to help manage symptoms, reduce anxiety, and improve quality of life throughout the treatment journey. Sexual health concerns, while understudied in leukemia patients, represent an important quality of life issue that deserves attention and support. Successful AML care requires coordinated efforts to address transportation barriers, provide psychosocial support, ensure adequate nutrition, and maintain patients’ connection to their support systems while managing the demands of intensive treatment protocols.
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