Organ Transplant Life Care Plans

When developing life care plans involving organ transplants, the life care planner is tasked with capturing the costs of complex medical care needs with immediate and lifelong implications.

When obtaining recommendations for future care needs, life care planners typically consult with treating or consulting physicians. This consultation can be difficult to arrange when an organ transplant is involved, as the treating physician may not comment on post-transplant needs. For example, regarding a lung transplant, a pulmonologist would refer the patient for an evaluation by a transplant team to qualify for a transplant. The treating pulmonologist makes the initial referral but is typically unable to comment on post-transplant care needs such as immunosuppressants. While a transplant physician can comment on post-transplant needs, the patient may or may not have been referred and evaluated at the time of the life care plan. Additionally, it can be challenging to schedule consultations with transplant physicians, usually due to extensive hospital group affiliations and a lack of experience and knowledge of the litigation system. In these cases, it may be prudent to engage a consulting physician who can comment on future care needs.

The life care planner also needs to be knowledgeable about the transplant procedure and its implications. Following a transplant, the patient may be at greater risk for infections, cancer, and other complications, which means the life care planner must ask about services related to the monitoring of these complications. Are increased primary care or dental visits required?  Are dermatology visits warranted, given the increased risk for skin cancer?  Would an annual flu shot be justified given the patient's compromised immune system?

Another consideration is the location of the patient to the nearest transplant center. For example, Patient A and Patient B both need a bilateral lung transplant. Patient A lives in Dallas, Texas, within driving distance to three transplant facilities. Patient B lives in rural West Virginia and will need to fly to receive treatment. Depending on the organ, transplant patients typically need to be near the transplant facility for up to three months postoperatively, followed by annual, multiple-day assessments at the transplant facility. The life care planner must consider costs for flights and extended stay lodging for Patient B to receive treatment. Other considerations for Patient B may include childcare and home and lawn maintenance while away receiving treatment. While Patient A and Patient B require the same surgical procedure, the life care plans will look drastically different when considering location differences.

Life Care Planning for transplant cases is complicated and requires a great deal of planning and forethought in case management. Transplant consultations often involve multiple bodily systems with variable future potential complications. It takes a team of experts to fully develop a Life Care Plan for such patients, whether engaged by the plaintiff or defense.

To strategize with one of our vocational rehabilitation or life care plan experts at Stokes & Associates, please call Dave Barrett at 504-454-5009, visit our website, www.stokes-associates.com, or e-mail dbarrett@stokes-associates.com.

Larry S. Stokes, Ph.D.
Aaron Wolfson, Ph.D.
Lacy Sapp, Ph.D.
Todd Capielano, M.Ed., LRC, CRC, LPC, CLCP
Ashley Lastrapes, Ph.D., CRC, CCM, CLCP, LPC, LRC
Brandy Bradley, MHS, CRC, LRC, CLCP
Elizabeth Peralta, M.Ed., LRC, CRC, CLCP