There is so much happening at ASH with the #IMFASH23 Team reporting in their blogs and tweets, that I’m trying to read those and then provide you with something you’ve not already read.
On Saturday at #ASH23, there was a Health Services and Quality Improvement session with a number of oral abstracts that I found interesting and new.
Within this session were 2 abstracts that focused on Outpatient Management of Care:
253 Outpatient Management of CAR-T and Teclistamab for Patients with Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma
Radhika Bansal, MBBS
Basically, patients receiving FDA-approved CAR-T or bispecific antibody Teclistamab (Tec) are typically managed in-patient. As previously reported and in this 2023 abstract, Hospital Based Outpatient (HBO) management is feasible and safe.
Tonya Cox, BSN
This abstract fit nicely in with Abstract 253 (HBO) above in that it focused on shifting CAR-T therapy to the outpatient setting and could it increase patient satisfaction and inpatient capacity, and reduce infection risk. Patients wore a device to monitor vital signs.
This study established a successful, integrated outpatient management process to ensure patient safety within the first 30 days post CAR-T.
I’m happy for studies like these that are looking to make the patient experience better. In my opinion, perhaps being out of the hospital while still ensuring patient safety and patient and care partner support may help us physically and psychologically.
After these abstracts, Linda Huguelet and I discussed her recent CAR-T experience and her thoughts on CAR-T in an outpatient setting.