Home Infusion Therapy in the United States: An Analysis of a Burgeoning New Industry

Author

Patricia L. Sprenger, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1989

Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

College

College of Business & Professional Studies

Department

Business Administration

Keywords

home health care, pharmacy, insurance, antibiotic, AIDS, thereapeutic, chemotherapy

Abstract

In general terms, home health care has been provided to people through organized agencies and a limited number of institutions for a long time. Visiting nurse associations organized by municipalities have provided numerous support functions and patient care services for many years. However, with few exceptions, hospitals and hospital pharmacists have had little interest and provided few services to patients in their homes. Only in recent years have they had reason to concern themselves with home health care activities.

Before the 1980s, pharmacists were occupied with priorities that were much different from what they are today. Hospitals were relatively complacent, growing in size as patient days - increased. Technological advances were stimulating new and exciting services that •required considerable professional time. Third party reimbursement was generating the revenue needed to pay for the expansion.

Health care financial incentives have been dramatically changed in the 1980s. These reimbursement changes have caused shock waves throughout the industry, especially within hospitals. The inpatient census began to decline almost immediately and continues to drop throughout the country as a result of peer review organizations, prospective pricing constraints, and the new managed care concept. So, hospitals began to compete with each other for the same patients to fill the increasing number of empty beds. At the same time, a large number of patients who were formerly treated in hospitals are now treated at alternative health care delivery sites, including the home.

Suddenly, a new industry has been created to accommodate those patient's needs. National and local proprietary organizations began to develop the needed specialty home services such as home infusion therapy services.

This paper is an analysis of factors which have created the extraordinary growth of the home infusion therapy market in the United States. A variety of circumstances and causative agents have converged to create a remarkable window of opportunity for forward looking companies in this country.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

Sprenger, Patricia L., "Home Infusion Therapy in the United States: An Analysis of a Burgeoning New Industry" (1989). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 510.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/510