By: Option Care
November 12, 2015

SAN ANTONIOOption Care patients treated with immunoglobulin (IG) therapy at home with a high level of clinical oversight had better outcomes compared to others receiving the therapy according to a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting this week. The researchers, who evaluated data from Option Care as compared to a large national database, also determined that the cost of therapy was lower. [*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.

One of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care provides high-quality, high-touch clinical support to patients undergoing treatment for complex conditions, including those receiving IG. Option Care’s unique treatment model combines locally delivered care with nationally managed treatment protocols and outcomes data collection. Specially trained infusion nurses and pharmacists provide individualized, expert IG treatment and patient education in the home. Patient-reported outcome measures — a scientific way of capturing patient experience — are collected by a dedicated team of IG experts and shared with patient’s broader health care team to keep everyone on the same page about the patient’s health status and to optimize the treatment plan.

“We conducted this research to test the hypothesis that patients who receive higher levels of clinical care in the home end up having better outcomes, ” said Jordan Orange, M.D., Ph.D., lead investigator of the study and professor of pediatrics and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “We found that the provision of comprehensive and consistent care in a patient’s own home does indeed lead to better outcomes. And an added benefit was that it was actually more cost effective.”

La terapia IG se brinda a pacientes que sufren de trastornos del sistema inmunológico, como por ejemplo inmunodeficiencias, o enfermedades autoinmunes, entre ellas algunos trastornos neuromusculares. El sitio de atención para el tratamiento puede ser un entorno hospitalario, un centro de infusión ambulatorio, un consultorio médico, un centro de infusión comunitario, o el hogar.

En el estudio retrospectivo del 1.° de agosto de 2011 al 30 de junio de 2014, el Dr. Orange y sus colegas evaluaron los resultados de pacientes de Option Care que recibieron terapia de IG en el hogar en comparación con el grupo de control, pacientes incluidos en una extensa base de datos nacional de reclamaciones administrativas (IMS Pharmetrics Plus). Los pacientes recibieron terapias de una de las siguientes formas: IG por vía intravenosa (IVIG), en la cual se inyecta directamente al torrente sanguíneo, o IG por vía subcutánea (SCIG), donde la terapia se inyecta justo debajo de la primera capa cutánea. Los investigadores combinaron cada paciente de Option Care con cuatro pacientes de la base de datos: 227 pacientes de Option Care bajo modalidad IVIG fueron comparados con 908 controles, y 59 pacientes de Option Care bajo modalidad SCIG se compararon con 236 controles. Los investigadores concluyeron que:

  • Serious bacterial infections were lower in Option Care IVIG patients (.16 per patient per year) compared to control IVIG patients (.29 per patient per year)[*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.  
  • Serious adverse events (renal impairment, hepatitis, anaphylaxis and aseptic meningitis) were lower in Option Care SCIG patients (.08 per patient per year) compared to SCIG control patients (.34 per patient per year). [*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.
  • Costs were lower overall for Option Care IVIG patients compared to controls ($112,756 vs. $120,567 per patient per year).[*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.  

“Delivering high quality care for all of our patients is our top priority. We believe that our high-touch care model benefits patients, and we are pleased that this IG data bears that out,” said Paul Mastrapa, CEO of Option Care. “Not only do our patients appreciate the quality of life benefits of receiving care in the home, this research shows they also are getting the best quality care at a lower cost.”

Sobre la Sociedad Americana de Alergia, Asma e Inmunología (ACAAI)

The ACAAI is a professional medical organization of more than 6,000 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. The College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit  www.AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.

Acerca de Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc., antes Walgreens Infusion Services, Inc., ofrece atención clínica de alta calidad a cargo de enfermeros de infusión, farmacéuticos y nutricionistas especialmente capacitados para tratar pacientes con una amplia gama de afecciones agudas, crónicas y raras. Como uno de los proveedores más grandes del país de servicios de infusión en el hogar y en centros alternativos de tratamiento, Option Care cuenta con 92 farmacias de infusión y 110 centros alternativos de tratamiento en todo el país. Obtenga más información en www.OptionCare.com

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Datos de contacto para los medios

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com

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