January 31, 2021 | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Cancer Treatment Tackles a New Frontier: Chemo at Home, Even on the Go

From The Philadelphia Inquirer

Chemotherapy at home is a rising trend, driven by patient convenience and the widespread fear of hospitals during the pandemic. But as much as patients love it, antiquated health-care billing systems, especially in Medicare, remain a formidable obstacle to the practice.

Penn’s shift of some chemotherapy treatments to home started on a small scale before the pandemic, but then took off, according to Justin Bekelman, the radiation oncologist who directs the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation

Under the at-home process, Penn nurses drive to patients’ residences to set up the complex lines and do the injections involved in the cancer treatment. After that, the backpack-wearing patients are free to go about their lives.

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