[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/infusion-pump-feeding.jpg"}],"headline":"Selecting an Infusion Center: 5 Key Factors to Consider","dateModified":"2022-01-12T02:45:42+00:00","datePublished":"2020-01-10T10:51:40+00:00","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 10, 2020\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nAn increasing number of medicines for psoriasis, Crohn\u2019s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and other chronic conditions are being delivered by intravenous infusion. These next-generation therapies provide patients with effective new treatment options, but also require them to make an important decision: where should I go for my infusion?\nIn many cases, the dermatologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, rheumatologists and other specialists prescribing those medications recommend that patients receive their infusions at community-based cancer centers. To better understand why those physicians would send patients who don\u2019t have cancer to an oncology practice, Advance Media recently interviewed three hematologists-oncologists with Regional Cancer Care Associates LLC (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists. With more than 125 cancer specialists practicing at 31 care centers located throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Washington, DC areas, RCCA provides care to roughly 24,500 new cancer patients and 245,000 established patients each year. However, thousands of people with other conditions, such as MS or Crohn\u2019s disease, also regularly visit RCCA offices for infusions. The RCCA physicians interviewed say that five factors shape those patients\u2019 decisions:\n\u201cFor many years, infused therapies were delivered only in the hospital. Over the past 20 years or more, however, infusions have been given in community-based clinics, as well, and in some cases they now are even being administered by a visiting nurse in a patient\u2019s home,\u201d explains Denis Fitzgerald, MD, Board Chairperson of RCCA.\n\u201cWhile in-home administration represents the most convenient approach, only a few therapies are suitable for infusion at home. Even in those cases, there is always a concern about responding to an infusion reaction. Adverse events are uncommon, and visiting nurses are trained to provide initial care for them, but managing an infusion reaction in the home setting just doesn\u2019t compare with responding to a medical issue in a fully staffed and equipped community clinic or hospital. At RCCA, there is always a physician on site when infusions are given. Doctors, as well as nurse practitioners, are just a few steps away should there be a problem or question,\u201d notes Dr. Fitzgerald, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who practices in RCCA\u2019s Little Silver, NJ office.\nAt the same time, Charanjeev Kapoor, MD says that receiving an infusion at community-based clinics such as RCCA\u2019s offices is more convenient than going to a hospital. \u201cIn terms of everything from parking to processing, the hospital entails much more of a hassle factor,\u201d says Dr. Kapoor, who practices at RCCA\u2019s Manchester, CT office. \u201cAt our offices, patients sign in, are assessed and counseled, and then receive their infusion in a very efficient manner, so that they can get on with their day and their lives,\u201d says Dr. Kapoor, who is board-certified in internal medicine, as well as hematology and medical oncology. \u201cI think community-based offices such as ours offer the best of both worlds in terms of convenience, accompanied by ready access to medical personnel and resources,\u201d he adds.\nThat convenience extends to making life easier for patients who see specialists at academic medical centers in New York, Philadelphia, or other major cities, but who don\u2019t want to travel to those centers for regular infusions, notes Dr. Fitzgerald. \u201cWe have many people who go to Manhattan two or three times a year to see their neurologist or gastroenterologist, but who don\u2019t want to travel to the city every month \u2013 or even more often \u2013 for routine care, so they come to us for their infusions,\u201d he explains.\nBy virtue of providing chemotherapy and other infused treatments to tens of thousands of patients each year, RCCA healthcare professionals have developed deep expertise with administering intravenous medications, says Dr. Fitzgerald. \u201cResearch across a number of professions shows that there is a clear relationship between volume and skill. That\u2019s true of pilots and surgeons, and it\u2019s also true of the members of our infusion teams,\u201d he notes.\nDr. Kapoor adds that this expertise translates into very effective patient counseling that addresses people\u2019s spoken and often-unspoken concerns. \u201cOur nurses review why the medication has been prescribed, how it works, the data on its efficacy, and what people need to know about potential side effects, including symptoms and how we will address them should they arise,\u201d he explains.\n\u201cReceiving an infusion in a hospital may cost a patient twice as much, or even more, than receiving an infusion of the same medication at the same dose in a community-based clinic,\u201d says Dr. Fitzgerald. He explains that hospitals generally have contracts with insurers that allow them to charge higher rates than community clinics due to the institutions\u2019 considerable overhead costs. Hospitals also charge administration fees for giving medications that are far higher than those of community-based practices, with those expenses hitting patients in the form of steep co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. \u201cBecause of this cost differential, many private insurers have begun mandating that patients receive infusions in community-based centers rather than hospitals whenever possible,\u201d he notes.\nRCCA\u2019s offices are designed expressly to provide a comfortable environment for people receiving chemotherapy and other types of infusions.\n\u201cOur West Hartford, CT office has 20 treatment chairs in an infusion room designed so that everyone can look out into an open area and not feel confined,\u201d says Dr. Kapoor.\nDr. Fitzgerald explains that the RCCA offices also have specially designed \u201cmixing areas\u201d where medications are prepared for infusion in a manner that prevents introduction of airborne contaminants. \u201cThe regulations regarding preparation of infused therapies are quite rigorous, as they should be, and they actually are becoming even more stringent. We closely follow the evolving regulatory landscape so as to remain fully compliant with all new requirements,\u201d he says.\nThe physical environment is only one aspect of the welcoming atmosphere for infusion patients, Dr. Fitzgerald adds. \u201cOne advantage of going to a community-based office rather than a large hospital is that our receptionists, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and office personnel all come to know our patients very quickly and develop an ongoing rapport with them.\u201d\nBut are people who don\u2019t have cancer uncomfortable coming to an oncology practice and sitting next to chemotherapy patients who, in some cases, clearly have late-stage disease? \u201cFrankly, some people express that concern initially, but we find that their discomfort typically is gone by the end of their first session. In large part, that\u2019s because of the upbeat atmosphere created by our staff and due to the incredible resilience, grace and good humor of our patients and their families. Non-oncology patients have even told me that the experience has given them a new perspective on their own situation, however serious it may be,\u201d Dr. Fitzgerald explains.\nOne of the benefits of practicing in the community is that we have excellent working relationships with our colleagues from other specialties. We see them at the hospital, we know one another by name, we speak frequently. This is a tremendous advantage for our patients,\u201d says Dr. Kapoor, noting that if, for instance, there is a question about the treatment of a patient who comes to RCCA\u2019s offices for infusion of an MS therapy, he can quickly contact the referring neurologist to clarify matters.\nDr. Fitzgerald adds that there will be even greater use of infusion-administered medications in the years ahead, as more and more therapies being developed to treat chronic conditions will be delivered intravenously. He notes, \u201cGiven this trend, more patients will have to make a decision about  where to receive their infusion. By considering all of the factors involved \u2013 such as safety, setting, cost, convenience, and experience \u2013 patients and their families can arrive at the choice that is right for them.\u201d\nWith more than 80 oncology physicians and nurse clinicians practicing at 20+ care centers throughout Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and the Washington, DC area, RCCA provides care to roughly 22,000 new cancer patients and 225,000 established patients each year. RCCA offers those patients immunotherapy, targeted treatment, cell-based therapy and other cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic modalities, as well as access to clinical trials.\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call (844) 301-4158. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. 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Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Selecting an Infusion Center: 5 Key Factors to Consider","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/selecting-an-infusion-center-5-key-factors-to-consider\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]