Becker's Hospital Review

20 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Some US hospitals allowing drug users to go home with IV lines By Anuja Vaidya P atients who need antibiotic treatment delivered intravenously in the weeks or months aer being discharged from the hospital are typically allowed to go home with a medication pump and an open IV tube — and for the first time some U.S. hospitals are allowing drug users to do the same, according to an NPR report. Patients leaving the hospital who need more medication via the IV are given a peripherally inserted or percuta- neous indwelling central catheter, or a PICC line, which looks like a flexible IV tube. Patients can use the pump and IV tube to give themselves medication at home. However, those who have a history of addiction were not allowed to use this option, as caregivers were afraid they might use the open IV line to inject drugs. But now a few U.S. hospitals, including Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital, are changing that protocol. ose with addiction issues also tend to be particularly susceptible to infection, requiring antibiot- ics delivered through an IV, NPR reported. Brigham and Women's only allows patients with addic- tion issues to take the option if they fulfil all three of the following requirements: • ey have to be taking an addiction treatment medication or be willing to start one. • ey have to attend a weekly check-in. • ey have stable housing and are living with someone. Brigham and Women's began offering the option to complete IV treatment at home to current and former drug users in 2018, and so far, 40 people have taken advantage of the program. Of the 40 people in Brigham and Women's program, 21 were drug users. ey completed the program without any complications, and although three relapsed, none of them used the PICC line to take drugs. "I think we've shown, through this pilot, that it is safe and feasible for certain patients," Christin Price, MD, director of the Brigham and Women's Bridge Clinic in Boston where the program was implemented, told NPR. Brigham and Women's physicians plan to publish results of the pilot program in a medical journal, NPR reported. n 71% of patients are 'frustrated' with healthcare experience By Andrea Park T he majority of American consumers are unhappy with their healthcare experiences, with most wishing for more personalized interactions, according to a report from Redpoint Global. In a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, 71 percent reported facing "major frustrations" through their experiences with healthcare providers, from difficulties scheduling appoint- ments to impersonal visits. Their experiences would be improved, they said, if providers catered more to their individuality and installed more accessi- ble systems. Almost 60 percent said they would prefer for com- munications with their providers to be digital, and even more said they would visit their providers more often if communica- tions — both digital and otherwise — felt more personalized. n 75% of Gen Z — and half of baby boomers — make healthcare transactions online By Andrea Park W hile retail and banking have led the way in delivering digital experiences that cater to consumers' wants and needs, healthcare is quickly catching up, with a majority of patients of all ages using online platforms to carry out healthcare transactions, according to a report from the software company Episerver. The "Reimagining Commerce 2020" report surveyed more than 4,000 consumers from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany and Sweden about their online platform use. A significant percentage of respondents across the board, aged 18 to 72, reported having used a digital platform to make healthcare transactions, with millennials leading the way, and Gen Z close behind. Perhaps surprisingly, while baby boomer respondents reported the lowest usage of online services for healthcare, nearly half said they do so occasionally. Here are the percentages of respondents in each cohort who said they use online platforms to carry out healthcare transac- tions to even a minimal extent: • Gen Z (ages 18-23): 74 percent • Millennials (24-38): 76 percent • Gen X (39-53): 65 percent • Baby boomers (54-72): 46 percent n

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