The Role of Social Work in Bone Marrow Transplantation

Abstract

Because bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a physically and emotionally challenging therapy that creates significant psychosocial stress for patients, families, and staff, expert social work interventions are vital to maximize the potential of the treatment and to enhance the quality of life of everyone involved. As a member of the BMT team, the social worker plays an essential role in enhancing the patient's and family's coping and their adaptation to the stressors of the treatment in the pretransplant, hospitalization, and posttransplant stages. This article provides a comprehensive discussion of the social worker's functions throughout the transplantation process, including assessment, education, mobilization of resources, counseling, discharge planning, and psychosocial follow-up. The social worker's survival and atuibutes are briefly discussed. The author support, the interventions and resources the social worker provides as being vital to the functioning of the multidisciplinary BMT team.