New research from Coram CVS Specialty® Infusion Services (Coram) found that patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis receiving infusion treatment at home had low incidence of infusion reactions. The study, published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, provides new evidence that home infusion care can be a safe and effective option for certain patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), when infused therapy is required.
Two of the most common IBD diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, impact different parts of the digestive tract, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than one million people suffer from IBD in the U.S. When used to treat Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, infliximab is typically administered in a hospital setting due to concerns over patient safety as data evaluating home-infused infliximab in this patient population had not previously been available.
Methodology and Findings
Study authors tracked and analyzed the incidence of infusion reactions in nearly 800 Coram patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis following administration of infliximab in their homes over a three-year period. Researchers found that in nearly all – 98 percent – of the more than 5,500 infusions performed there were no infusion reactions. When there were infusion reactions, most were mild to moderate in severity, were successfully managed by the Coram nurse, and those patients often continued on home therapy.
A Rapidly Growing Health Care Model
Home infusion care is a rapidly growing delivery model in the health care system with rising rates of chronic and acute conditions that require intravenous therapy. Prior research from CVS Health also showed that, when appropriate for a patient’s disease or condition, home infusion care can be more convenient, cost effective, and improve patient outcomes and quality of life when compared to inpatient or hospital settings. In fact, costs associated with infusion therapies are typically $1,928 to $2,974 lower when delivered in patients’ homes instead of at hospitals or in doctors’ offices.
With more than 35 years of experience, Coram includes a clinical team of nurses, dietitians and pharmacists who deliver infusion therapies, education and support services to more than 50,000 patients each month with a range of conditions including immune deficiencies, rheumatoid arthritis, digestive diseases and serious infections.