Education & Conferences

Module 1: Introduction to Home Infusion Practice

3 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module provides an overview of home infusion therapy including history, business and therapy overviews, VAD and Infusion Device Overview, Overview of the home infusion clinical/operational team, Reimbursement and Regulatory Issues (general information only), Quality Outcomes and Patient Safety (general information only), Future practice considerations

The module also includes case scenarios using concepts/knowledge in the module with self assessment questions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Identify key pharmacist responsibilities unique to home infusion therapy
2. Identify issues that have had a significant impact on the delivery of home infusion therapy, including law, regulation, and accreditation requirement
3. Describe and discuss functions of the various team members who provide home infusion therapy
4. Describe the significance, complexity and nuance of reimbursement issues in home infusion practice
5. Describe the role/function of various governmental and regulatory bodies as related to the provision of home infusion therapy
6. Describe the role/function of various accrediting bodies as related to the provision of home infusion therapy
7. Explain how current standards of practice and regulatory guidelines can be appropriately incorporated into home infusion practice

Module 2: Overview of Home Care Reimbursement

3 CEUs

MODULE OUTLINE:

Key Reimbursement Concepts
The purpose of the reimbursement function in health care
Non-standardization
Business models
Coding systems
Reimbursement methodologies
The application of strategies and tactics at critical junctures
Payer Sources:   Medicare
Payer sources:   Medicaid
Payer sources:   Private paying customers
Payer sources:   Managed care
Payer sources:   Commercial insurance
Reimbursement methodologies
The Revenue Cycle
Reimbursement department productivity indicators
Caveats
Suggested methodologies

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Identify major payer types and their coverage of home infusion therapies
2. Define basic constructs and terminology related to home infusion reimbursement
3. Apply appropriate reimbursement strategies to various types of payers or contracts
4. Describe major steps in the typical home infusion billing process including pre-qualification, vouchering, correct patient processing, and appropriate management of accounts receivable and collections

Module 3: Overview of Infusion Devices, Vascular Access Devices and Ancillary Supplies

3 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module covers Basic Anatomy, Description of devices and clinical considerations (including VADs, Infusion Devices, Occlusion Management (overview of thromobolytics, etc), Ancillary Supplies, Patient Teaching and Staff Education.

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. List key considerations in choosing vascular access devices
2. Identify selection criteria for choosing infusion devices
3. Describe standard ancillary supplies used with each major type of home infusion therapy
4. Describe the major components of effective (comprehensive?) patient and staff education

Module 4: Introduction to Home Infusion Therapies: Nutrition Therapies: Parenteral Nutrition, Enteral Nutrition, and Hydration

5 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module covers nutritional therapies (including TPN and enteral therapy) and the associated patient assessment and clinical monitoring. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE: This module provides a cross-section of the old 'Introduction to home infusion therapy' and 'Patient assessment and clinical monitoring' modules but just focuses on nutritional therapies. Module 5 covers antibiotic, chemotherapy and other therapies.

OUTLINE:

Considerations for initiating therapy
Clinical appropriateness
An overview of nutritional therapies delivered in the home including TPN and Enteral therapies.
Collaboration/Coordination of Care
Patient Admission Criteria,
Patient environment
Vascular access
Patient's physical condition
Patient Monitoring
Lab Value Interpretation
Documentation of Clinical Assessment and Monitoring.

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Describe disease states typically treated with home infusion therapy
2. Choose appropriate infusion devices to deliver each major type of therapy in the home
3. Demonstrate an appropriate process for clinical and therapeutic decision-making related to the use of home infusion therapies
4. Understand special considerations in compounding and stability related to the use of home infusion therapies
5. Understand unique challenges of delivering infusion therapies in the home environment as compared with an acute care setting
6. Choose appropriate venous access devices and infusion pumps to deliver each major type of infusion therapy in the home

Module 5: Introduction to Home Infusion Therapies: Antibiotics, Chemotherapy and Other Therapies

5 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module covers antibiotic, chemotherapy and other therapies and the associated patient assessment and clinical monitoring. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE: This module provides a cross-section of the old 'Introduction to home infusion therapy' and 'Patient assessment and clinical monitoring' modules but just focuses on antibiotic, chemotherapy and other therapies. Module 4 covers nutritional therapies.

OUTLINE:

Considerations for initiating therapy
Clinical appropriateness
An overview of non-nutritional therapies delivered in the home including Antibiotics, Chemotherapy, Pain Management, Hydration and Other Therapies.
Collaboration/Coordination of Care
Patient Admission Criteria,
Patient environment
Vascular access
Patient's physical condition
Patient Monitoring
Lab Value Interpretation
Documentation of Clinical Assessment and Monitoring.

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Describe disease states typically treated with home infusion therapy
2. Choose appropriate infusion devices to deliver each major type of therapy in the home
3. Describe the process and key aspects of appropriate patient assessment to receive home infusion therapy
4. Interpret key lab data required to monitor major home infusion therapies
5. Determine appropriate criteria for a patient to receive infusion therapy in the home
6. Describe and develop an appropriate a care plan for a patient receiving home infusion therapy

Module 6: Compounded Sterile Preparations in Home Infusion

4 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module offers an overview of standards of practice related to sterile products, pharmacy design, biological safety cabinets, overview of compounding equipment and supplies. It also reviews aseptic technique and special considerations for use of sterile products in the home.

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Describe how to incorporate standards of practice into sterile product preparation for use in the home environment
2. Understand basic principles of compounding room design and maintenance
3. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of various types of compounding equipment as defined by current standards of practice
4. Describe key aspects of aseptic technique
5. Explain important quality assurance issues related to sterile product preparation for use in the home environment

Module 7: Overview of Financial and Operational Issues in Home Infusion Therapy

4 CEUs

DESCRIPTION:

This module covers financial and operational issues key to home infusion including the intake process, pharmacist work\flow process, purchasing, inventory management, staffing, risk management and quality management.

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this module the participant will be able to:

1. Identify and describe critical points in the patient referral process
2. Describe key concepts related to inventory management
3. Provide examples of alternative delivery models (includes shipping and delivery alternative and their impact on the costs of providing services)
4. Explain how to decrease DSOs
5. Understand the fundamentals of modern quality management as it relates to home infusion therapy
6. Compare/contrast basic quality management tools
7. Understand the role of clinical and operational benchmarking