NHIA submits recommendations on improving access to in-home care

WASHINGTON – The National Home Infusion Association has submitted comments in response to “Request for Comment: Increasing Patient Access to At-Home Use Medical Technologies” issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “NHIA applauds the FDA for recognizing the importance of facilitating access to care in the home and for issuing this Request for Comment to promote expanded access to home use technologies,” said the NHIA. “This proven model of care is overwhelmingly preferred by patients, while also being cost-effective relative to institutional care.” NHIA made several recommendations, including encourage development of technologies that enable clinicians to remotely view, program, and download data from infusion pumps by holding listening sessions with clinicians and consumers to better understand desired capabilities; focus on the needs of patients since devices used at home must be designed for use by the patient, rather than the clinician; and fix Medicare coverage of home infusion so that infusion medications can be administered via disposable (non-durable) devices that are simpler for patients to use compared to infusion pumps.