Delivering Monoclonal Antibody Infusions to Novel Outpatient Settings

ABSTRACT

In November 2020, monoclonal antibody infusions became the first available treatment for outpatients with Covid-19. The logistics of administering the drug, however, necessitated novel approaches to health care delivery to maximize the effectiveness in Geisinger's patient community. To overcome these challenges, Geisinger quickly set up a process to identify the patients at highest risk and to proactively reach out to them for treatment scheduling. For most patients, an ambulatory clinic was the appropriate setting for infusions. For patients living in a skilled nursing facility or a residential facility for the developmentally disabled, Geisinger deployed mobile units to deliver care treatment to them. Additionally, to serve imprisoned patients, the health system arranged for secure access to select ambulatory clinics at designated times. Using this agile approach, nearly 3,000 patients have been treated by Geisinger since monoclonal antibody treatments were first granted Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. In this article, the authors describe how Geisinger designed and executed this innovative approach to care delivery. © Massachusetts Medical Society.