Infusion therapy is the process by which medication or other necessary fluids are administered into your body through a needle or a catheter. Most of the time, the medication is administered by a medical professional in a clinical or at-home setting. However, there are some cases where a patient wants or has to administer the medication themselves. In these situations, it is perfectly normal for your patient to be apprehensive about self-injecting or self-infusing. Alleviating the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with self-infusion starts with education.
SPNN, a leading provider of clinical services and education to specialty pharmacies, serves as an extension of specialty pharmacy staff and pharmaceutical companies to design, administer, and educate patients on self-administration of custom specialty infusion therapies. Our highly-trained specialty infusion nurses provide top-notch, thorough education to help patients be more confident with self-injection/self-infusion, greatly alleviating this anxiety and setting patients up for success with their at-home treatment regimen.
Benefits of Patient Education
There are many benefits of proper patient education when it comes to specialty infusion therapy. An educated patient is more confident, safer during adminstration, and capable of self-infusing anywhere they need!
Increase in Patient Comfort and Confidence
One of the greatest benefits of patient education with infusion therapy is the sense of comfort and relief patients feel knowing they are properly informed, educated, and prepared to self-infuse at home or on the go. When a specialty infusion regime is started, a SPNN registered nurse will walk your patient through the process of self-infusion, giving step-by-step guidance and vital safety education. After their training, your patient will have the knowledge and confidence to safely self-infuse.
Safety when Self-Infusing Medication
It’s no surprise that there is a lot of information about using medication on the internet. Unfortunately, much of the “medical” information online is not helpful and can even be unsafe. With SPNN patient education, you can rest assured that your patients will be receiving expert, safe, and up-to-date information about using their medications from a certified and experienced medical professional. Our nurses have longevity in the industry and can give your patient tips and tricks of the trade they’ve learned along the way, developing a personal and professional relationship with your patient that fosters trust and confidence in the therapy they need.
Administer Infusion Medication on the Go
Your patients are not limited to learning about infusion therapy at a doctor’s office. Many patients value and/or need at-home care, and are much more comfortable learning at home. SPNN nurses travel to patient homes to provide specialty infusion therapy and training. We also dispatch nurses to other clinical settings if a patient prefers, and can train them to self-infuse in environments other than their home and even on the go! Your patient will be able to live their best life by learning to safely self-infuse, and will not be confined to their home or a doctor’s office to receive their needed therapy.
Specialty Infusion Educational Tools
Pharmaceutical manufacturers of specialty infusion medications design and produce high-quality educational tools for patient and nurse use. Our nurses will provide and review any materials available from the medication manufacturer with your patient, ensuring they are fully educated, aware of risks and potential pitfalls, and will always have printed materials ready to reference when they or another caretaker needs it.
Getting education on the process of infusion therapy doesn’t have to be complicated and it is certainly not something to be apprehensive about. In addition to the benefits stated above, for the first few months, SPNN registered nurses can follow up with patients who have gone through the patient education experience to make sure they are comfortable with self-infusion and self-injection. SPNN nurses are also available to educate Physician and Clinic office staff on the proper administration of any specialty infusion therapy.
