6 Reasons Why Rheumatology Patients Prefer to Receive In-Office Biologic Treatments
Biologic therapies are revolutionizing chronic rheumatoid illnesses, with more doctors prescribing these drugs to their patients to provide symptom relief, slow disease progression, and improve patients’ quality of life.
However, since most of these medications require intravenous administration, patients rely on qualified medical professionals to receive their therapies. Therefore, access to infusion suites is key to helping these patients.
Watch the Video: Benefits of In-Office Infusion Therapies for Rheumatology Patients
Benefits of In-Office Infusion Therapies for Rheumatology Patients
Given a choice, most patients will choose to receive their infusion therapy at their doctor’s office. Here are some of the reasons why.
Convenient Location
Since mobility is challenging for many rheumatology patients, proximity and convenience are two important factors they consider when choosing a physician to treat them long-term.
Receiving these treatments at a hospital outpatient infusion center often means parking far away from entryways and navigating through hallways to get to the infusion center, a task many patients dread.
Comfortable and Familiar Environment
Stress is the enemy for most chronic disease patients, and navigating through unfamiliar buildings and having to interact with different doctors and nurses every time they receive an infusion can cause unnecessary stress.
In-office infusion suites provide a comfortable and supportive setting to patients allowing them to enjoy and look forward to their appointments, thus increasing patient compliance.
Specialized Care
The often large number of patients that visit hospital infusion centers makes it difficult for nurses and doctors to establish a personal connection with any patient. Additionally, because hospitals provide biologic therapies to patients with different illnesses, rheumatology patients may feel isolated as they may not encounter other patients living with a similar condition.
Trust
Trust is an essential feature of patient-physician relationships. A strong relationship between a patient and their doctor can significantly increase treatment compliance and patient satisfaction.
In contrast, patients who report low trust levels with their physicians are less likely to follow their doctor’s advice or report symptom improvement.
Reduced Wait Times
Given the high number of patients a hospital treats, scheduling, and rescheduling infusion appointments can be a nightmare for patients.
Having an in-office infusion suite means patients will experience shorter wait times. Altus Biologics also makes it easier for patients to schedule or reschedule their infusion appointments.
