Best Practices for In-Office Infusion Centers

Watch the video: Best Practices for In-Office Infusion Centers

If you are a physician that treats chronic diseases, you have probably wondered if you should open an in-office infusion center. If you already have an infusion suite within your practice, you have to wonder if you are running it optimally and following the current best practices.

The market for outpatient biologic infusion therapies for treatment of autoimmune diseases is expanding rapidly. However, to safeguard patient safety best practices are needed.

Running an infusion center in an ever-changing landscape is challenging, which is why many practitioners are seeking the help of in-office biologics management solution companies.

Companies like Altus Biologics assist in the management of in-office infusion centers, from the setup, drug purchasing, staffing, patient scheduling, and treatment administration to reimbursement.

Working with a biologics management company ensures your in-office infusion center will keep up with new drugs and best practices, which will increase patient satisfaction, help increase treatment compliance, and most importantly, keep patients safe.

In-Office Infusion Centers Best Practices

The following is intended to give a broad overview of in-office infusion center best practices, and it is not meant to be a comprehensive list.

The National Infusion Center Association (NICA) established minimum standards for operating an infusion center. These standards aim to unify best practices among in-office infusion suites to promote patient safety and help the industry grow.

The standards involve different aspects of the daily operation of an infusion center:

Clear Procedures

Have clear and detailed procedures for the preparation and administration of intravenous medications. All personnel involved need to be trained in these procedures to ensure continuous quality of care.

The procedures should include:

The role of each staff member and their involvement in all activities
The type of protective equipment needed
Protocols for performing medication preparation, including those that may fall under the jurisdiction of the Board of Pharmacy
Patient assessment
Creating and maintaining protocols for every medication administered in the facility. These protocols should cover storage and handling procedures, preparation, stability, monitoring, and reporting requirements.

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Assessing of Clinical Personnel

Biologic therapies require a unique set of skills involving proper education and training.

Therefore, in-office infusion center owners and administrators must assess and document their staff’s education and clinical competency.

Maintaining Adequate Clinician-to-Patient Ratios

Every infusion center works differently, and therefore clinician-to-patient ratios will vary. Ratios rely heavily on the clinician’s experience, availability, capability, support staff, route of administration, drug mix, patient history, and acuity.

Although these calculations can be tedious, they are essential to ensuring the quality of care, patient safety, and employee satisfaction.

Patient Assessment and Obtaining Informed Consent

A comprehensive assessment performed pursuant to state nursing guidelines should be documented before each treatment.

The assessments should include:

Confirmation of patient’s personal information, including name, date of birth, diagnosis, medication being administered, drug dose, infusion rate, monitoring, and requirements for filtration
Providing patients with information regarding the prescribed medication and the route of administration. Additionally, patients need to be aware of the approximate duration of the treatment and if any pre-medications are required. Finally, patients should be allowed to ask questions
Collection of vitals
Review of patient’s recent medical history, including any new diagnoses, new hospitalizations or surgeries, prescribed medications, and known medication allergies
Checking for any contraindications specific to the prescribed treatment, such as fever, abnormal lab values, infection, or receiving antibiotic treatment
Review of patient’s educational needs regarding their diagnosis, treatment, and route of administration
For patients who require medication with weight-based dosing, weight measurements should be recorded at each treatment

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Treatment Administration

Only qualified health care professionals should prepare or administer medications, including therapeutic biologic products.

A licensed physician needs to be readily available, either physically or by phone, while a patient receives their infusion treatment.

During infusion treatments, clinical staff should peridocially observe until discharge. If possible, patients should have access to a buzzer or other means of notifying a clinician if they need assistance.

The administration of parenteral medications should ideally start within one hour of preparation.

An emergency Reaction Management Kit should be available during medication administration to treat any hypersensitivity reactions.

Reaction Management Kits must include:

Medications: Epinephrine, corticosteroids, antihistamines, and IV fluids
Resuscitation Equipment: barrier mask for CPR
Breathing Support: Oxygen and delivery system or device

Given the complexity of operating an in-office infusion suite and adhering to those standards set by NICA, often the best and most cost-effective solution is to entrust the management of your infusion center to the experts.

As a leader in infusion management services, Altus Biologics provides comprehensive and affordable solutions for in-office infusion suites.