Welcome to Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center. We understand that
infusion treatment can be a stressful experience and we're here to help you
throughout the entire process to make sure you receive the best care possible
as quickly and safely as possible. We know that your time is valuable, and we
want you to know exactly what to expect during your visit for infusion treatment.
We'll walk you through everything from arrival and check-in, to getting your
blood work done, visiting your provider, scheduling your infusion, how your
treatment is formulated and verified, and the actual infusion process. We'll even
give you a few tips on how to reduce your wait times on future visits.
But first, there are a few things to keep in mind before you arrive. For your first
treatment come prepared to stay for several hours.
Your oncology care team will consist of an oncologist nurse practitioner or a
physician assistant, and will often be referred to as your provider. Your
provider or infusion nurse can let you know how long you should plan to be here
for future visits. If you're wondering what to bring with you we generally
recommend having a book or other form of entertainment, some snacks in case you
get hungry, and a support person who can keep you
company during your visit. We welcome family and support people for every
visit, but it's especially encouraged that you bring someone with you for your
first treatment until you're more familiar with how your body will
tolerate your infusion.
When you arrive at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, you'll have two
options for parking: pull right in front for valet service or park in our garage
in the rear of the building. Your parking ticket will be validated when you arrive
to the infusion suite. When you enter the Perelman Center lobby, take the
escalators or the glass elevators up to the first floor. Go right and head into
the West Pavilion where you'll take the first set of elevators up to your
designated infusion floor. Depending on which provider you're seeing, you'll be
on the second third or fourth floor. When you first arrive on your infusion floor,
check in with one of our patient service associates for all your appointments
that day. This could include a lab appointment, an office visit with your
provider or an infusion visit. The check-in process should take around five
minutes, after which you can have a seat in the patient lounge until your name is
called for the lab or clinic.
If you're sent home to have your blood drawn during your visit, that will be your next step.
Our experienced phlebotomist will
draw your blood samples for any required laboratory testing ordered by your provider.
There could be circumstances either for your convenience or due to
insurance requirements, where you will have your lab testing done somewhere else.
This is completely fine, and the results are still sent to us.
Your provider can review the laboratory test results during your clinic visit as one
of the ways to monitor your health and progress. Your type of cancer and your
specific course of treatment may require a variety of laboratory test results to
be reviewed prior to your treatment. These can take between 30 to 90 minutes
depending on the type of laboratory tests being performed.
After your blood samples are drawn you will have a seat in the patient lounge until you are
called either to see your provider or report to the infusion suite.
Depending on the type and frequency of your treatment you may need to see your
provider on the day of your infusion. If you are scheduled to see your provider
this is when that visit will happen. The length of time spent with your provider
varies depending on each patient's unique circumstances. We treat every
patient individually and ultimately your specific needs will dictate how long
your provider visit lasts.
Once your clinic visit is over you'll meet with
one of our patient service associates to schedule any upcoming appointments.
You will typically schedule your next clinic visit and infusion visit at the same time,
as well as any necessary scans. For patients receiving both infusion and
radiation concurrently, the entire course of treatment is likely to be scheduled
at the beginning of your therapy because of the complexity of coordinating both
treatments. But due to the unpredictable nature of cancer treatment most patients
will only schedule one or two appointments in advance.
You've now checked, in gotten your blood work done, met with your provider, and
scheduled your upcoming appointments. At this point, we will now place your name
in the queue for a room in the infusion suite and you can take a seat in the patient lounge
While you wait for your infusion room our team is busy behind
the scenes making sure everything about your visit and your treatment is
accurate and safe. Our triage nurse will review your infusion orders and lab
results, and verify that you are safe to receive your scheduled treatment. This
often requires additional communication with your provider to review any
questions or issues about your infusion. At the same time our insurance
authorization department will verify that your insurance is active and you're
properly covered for the specific treatment that you'll receive that day.
We perform this verification in order to prevent incorrect charges being billed
to you directly. Since your treatment dosage or insurance plan can change, it's
not always possible to complete these verifications ahead of time and they can
only be done once your provider has ordered your treatment for the day.
Once your labs, orders, and insurance have all been verified, the triage nurse will tell
the pharmacist to begin mixing your medication.
You will typically remain in the patient lounge throughout this process which
normally takes 45 to 60 minutes. You are more than welcome to leave the floor
during this process, but please check in with the triage nurse first. In order to
decrease wait time for all patients the triage nurse may send you to any of our
3 floors for infusion treatment.
Ss you make your way to your infusion room, our pharmacy is busy preparing your
treatment specifically for you based on your height weight and other factors on
the day of your visit. For your safety, each infusion dose is made only after
your lab results have been reported and your provider has determined you are
safe to receive chemo on that scheduled day. Your medication can take up to an
hour to be prepared, and is then double-checked for safety by two
separate pharmacists before being given to your infusion nurse. Please keep in
mind that if you are on a research study or are receiving an investigational drug,
the length of time for mixing and preparation can be increased, as there
are even more safety checks that must be conducted to adhere to research
protocols. This entire infusion prep process is all happening in the pharmacy
while you are in your infusion room. Your private infusion room usually includes a
recliner, a TV, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms with a bed are available for patients who are
feeling ill, have very long treatments, or have a condition where they would be
more comfortable lying down. Once the pharmacist has given your treatment to
the nursing staff, your infusion will undergo a series of independent checks
by two certified nurses. Your infusion nurse will access your port or PICC line
if you have one, or start an IV in one of your arms. You will then receive any
necessary pre medications that are required prior to receiving your
medication. Because some infusion regimens require more pre-meds than
others, this process could take up to an hour depending on your unique situation.
Once the pre medication process is complete, your infusion nurse will
administer your treatment and two other nurses will complete a final series of
safety checks to make sure you're receiving your medication correctly.
The length of time for infusion depends on your unique treatment plan and can take
anywhere from 15 minutes to a full day. Certain medications may require that you
remain in your infusion room for monitoring after your treatment is
complete. Regardless of how long your treatment
lasts, your support person can be in your infusion room with you throughout the
entire process. Juice and crackers are provided in the
infusion suite, but please feel free to bring snacks or meals with you for the
day. There are also multiple places to
purchase food and drinks throughout the Perelman Center. Remember, you are free to
move around within the infusion suite all you like but for anything outside
that area, you'll want to ask your support person to make those purchases
and bring them back into the infusion suite. Once you've finished your infusion
treatment for the day, you're free to leave since you've already scheduled
your next appointment. And keep in mind, if you have a question about any part of
the infusion process, your provider or infusion nurse will be happy to talk with
you about it. One question we get asked a lot here in the infusion suite is "how
can I minimize my wait times on treatment day?" We understand that waiting
is an unwelcome part of the infusion process, but there are a few things you
may be able to do in advance to help move things along.
Depending on your regimen, you may be able to schedule your chemotherapy
infusion appointment on a separate day from your clinic visit. The infusion
suite is busiest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. If your schedule allows,
booking an appointment outside of those hours will reduce your wait time substantially.
Not all treatment sessions have this time flexibility, so be sure to
discuss this option with your provider first. If you are due for a scan prior to
seeing a provider, scheduling that scan up to a few days prior to your
appointment will allow your physician plenty of time to review your results
before your appointment. Blood samples are considered safe for treatment within
3 days of your appointment, so having your blood drawn at a lab in advance is
another way you can decrease your wait on infusion day. At the Abramson Cancer
Center, our goal is to provide you with the best possible care as quickly and
safely as possible. We understand that your time is valuable,
and we hope you agree that your safety is worth the wait.