Infused Oncology Therapy

Barbara*, a 65-year-old female with heart disease, was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. Barbara had a high risk of infection, so her oncologist recommended an additional therapy to boost her white blood cell count and help reduce the chance of infection.

Barbara was overwhelmed with the addition of another infusion to her treatment plan, especially one that wouldn’t treat her cancer. Chemo made her tired and weak, and she wasn’t motivated to return to her doctor’s office a day after chemo for this infusion therapy. She was also concerned about possible side effects, which sounded serious, but was hesitant to discuss these issues with her oncologist.

To help Barbara with the logistics of an additional infusion therapy, Barbara’s oncologist enrolled her in the Patient Support Program. She used the Patient Starter Kit, which outlined the benefits of infusion therapy, to guide their discussion about how it would fit into her treatment plan.

Barbara’s Treatment Experience Nurse called to welcome her to the program and completed a barrier assessment, which was entered in the SmartCARE Platform and reported to Barbara’s oncologist through the Clinician Feedback Loop.

The Treatment Experience Nurse listened to Barbara’s concerns, answered her questions, and scheduled her first infusion appointment. She also discussed potential side effects and helped Barbara figure out what motivated her to take care of her health: her grandchildren.

During their next call, the Treatment Experience Nurse checked in with Barbara, who was still overwhelmed thinking about how she would get to upcoming infusion appointments when she was feeling weak and tired from chemotherapy.

The Treatment Experience Nurse encouraged Barbara to ask for support and helped her make a list of family and friends who could take her to her upcoming appointments. She also reminded Barbara that continuing treatment was important in order to have a better chance of avoiding infection while on chemotherapy.

During subsequent scheduled calls, the Treatment Experience Nurse continued to monitor Barbara’s progress, reassess her barriers, and update her record for the SmartCARE Platform and Clinician Feedback Loop.

Dr. Goldberg* didn’t like the “buy and bill” model of infusion therapy because the reimbursement process was overwhelming for his staff.

Because Barbara was initially hesitant to discuss her concerns with Dr. Goldberg, he wasn’t aware that his patient was worried about side effects or the logistics of infusion appointments—barriers that could prevent Barbara’s adherence to her treatment plan.

The program offered Financial Management Support to streamline the reimbursement process. The HCS Case Manager showed Dr. Goldberg’s office staff how to place an online order that would be fulfilled by a nearby specialty pharmacy and helped them get the information needed to complete the prior authorization process.

Dr. Goldberg also used resources from the Patient Support Program to monitor Barbara’s progress and improve their communication. He had access to the:

• Patient Starter Kit, which included patient-friendly language and offered tips on how to set expectations and discuss the benefits of infusion therapy
• Clinician Feedback Loop, which shared information collected by the Treatment Experience Nurse between appointments, including reported side effects and barriers addressed

As a result of being enrolled in the Patient Support Program, patients like Barbara were more likely to adhere to their infused oncology therapy and therefore have better outcomes. Clinicians like Dr. Goldberg were able to provide better care because the program strengthened patient—clinician communication, helped clinicians set expectations for therapy and identify and manage side effects, and provided data between follow-up appointments.

*Illustrative, not an actual patient/clinician