Advanced Infusion Care (AIC), a division of AIS Healthcare, today announced its participation in the Immunoglobulin National Society (IgNS) 12th National Conference, which takes place on October 5th – 8th in Denver, Colorado. The annual conference provides a forum for industry leaders across multiple disciplines to explore major therapy updates, clinical management, standards of practice, and expert workshops.
By providing a team-based approach to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy, AIC delivers specialized treatment options to individuals living with immunodeficiencies and other complex conditions. For these patients, IVIG is used to manage various immunodeficiency states and other conditions, including autoimmune, infectious, and other inflammatory ailments. The ultimate goal of this therapy is to normalize a compromised immune system, fight infections, and have patients receive care in the comfort of their own homes.
This year at IgNS, AIC representatives will present their analysis of policy changes to reduce the overall infusion escalation time for patients with a 10% intravenous immunoglobulin product.
“At AIC, we are constantly innovating to ensure that our infusion care services best meet the needs of our patients. The Immunoglobulin National Society’s annual conference is an important venue for AIC and other leaders to come together to advance our industry, share best practices, and deliver the best possible care for patients,” said Jud Hall, President at AIC.
The specialty pharmacy provider traditionally follows a policy of increasing IVIG infusion rates every 30 minutes. To accommodate patient preferences and changing healthcare reimbursement practices, AIC reevaluated this infusion policy to explore the possibility of reducing the overall infusion time per patient and identify more cost-effective and safe options for IVIG administration.
AIC’s retrospective review of some patient records over a six-month period showed that 11 of the 13 observed patients reported no adverse experiences with two patients reporting adverse experiences across 70 infusions (2.9% incidence). Patients also reported satisfaction with the new shorter infusion rate of 15 minutes for 68 out of the 70 infusions. The analysis also saw a mean reduction of 41.7 minutes (23.9% per visit) in IVIG infusion time with the transition to the 15-minute escalation protocol leading to a reduction in the per visit cost of nursing services.
On Saturday, October 7th, AIC will present their findings to IgNS attendees during a poster board session, where experts will demonstrate how a reduction in infusion time could positively impact nursing costs, patient quality of life, and infusion-related adverse event occurrence. AIC’s analysis indicates the change in policy resulted in well-tolerated and shorter infusion times which may have a positive impact on patient quality of life and healthcare resource utilization.
AIC is dually accredited by URAC and the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), further distinguishing itself as an infusion services provider. AIC is also a member of IgNS and is regularly inspected by national and state boards of pharmacy.
