Practical guidelines for developing an office-based program for outpatient intravenous therapy.

As early discharge from the hospital and initiation of outpatient iv therapy have become more common, physicians have found that although their role as care giver has not diminished, compensation by insurers for that care has. Therefore, physicians may wish to establish their own office-based programs for providing cost-effective, quality care for patients who can be treated on an outpatient basis. Important factors in the establishment of such a program are obtaining the services of a nurse skilled in administration of iv antibiotics and the services of a cooperative pharmacist, utilizing treatment consent forms and instructive handouts for patients, and providing 7-day-per-week nursing care. Physicians must immediately hospitalize program participants who experience complications. To ensure cooperation from third-party payers, familiarity with their codes for procedural terminology is necessary. It is also highly advisable to obtain written approval for a patient's participation in the program from the medical director or another key official of the insurance company.