Longitudinal Early Advance Care Planning Discussions and Documentation (LEADD) Program: An Exploratory Study in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) Receiving Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

Background: For adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with certain life-threatening illnesses, hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) provides the best chance for cure and survival. HSCT is a life-saving therapy, but this treatment also comes with significant risks. Given these risks, it is imperative that patients and their families have the opportunity to share their values, priorities, and goals through advance care planning (ACP) to ensure that the care they receive through the transplant process remains patient-centered. Despite the benefits of ACP discussions, many barriers, including provider discomfort, may prevent these conversations with AYAs. Objective: To see if AYAs who undergo HSCT and their caregivers benefit from discussing ACP topics. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 39 years enrolled in an NIH study with a planned HSCT. One caregiver aged 18 years or older will also be invited to participate. Design: Participants will complete a 20-minute questionnaire. They will be asked about the priorities they have related to their care and their prior experiences with ACP. Participants will have 3 conversations with a study team member over 4 to 9 weeks. Each talk will last 45 to 60 minutes. First, participants will talk about their upcoming transplant and their expectations. They will also be asked about their fears and worries and will discuss what is most important to them in terms of support, comfort, their values, and their goals. Next, they will learn about Voicing My CHOiCES . This guide gives people a place to say what kind of care they want to receive during their treatment and includes a place to document how they would want to be cared for if they can no longer make decisions on their own. Participants will be guided as they fill in a few pages from this guide. The third conversation will review the first talks. Participants may ask questions and review any topic. They will complete follow-up questionnaires and be provided with a summary of