There are many ways to infuse medications or fluids. Infusion methods such as manual IV push, elastomeric, or an electronic mechanical pump are just some examples. Often medication labeling and instructions will only include the route of infusion but leave the decision for method of delivery up to the pharmacist or nurse.
On January 3rd, 2024, The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) released a consensus practice standard to help pharmacists and clinicians assess situations and determine when an electronic mechanical pump is recommended to administer an infusion medication in the home setting. This standard, titled “Electronic Mechanical Pump Selection for Home Administration of Infusion Medications,” is designed to provide guidance and direction for clinicians, regulatory agencies, reimbursement professionals, and industry stakeholders of situations where the use of an infusion pump is strongly or highly encouraged.
This standard was developed by the NHIA Quality and Standards Committee after reviewing evidence, research, and industry trends. It is important to note that this practice standard is not a NHIA requirement. NHIA hopes that this standard will help establish reasonable goals for home and alternate sites to improve patient care.
The standard can be viewed at Electronic Mechanical Pump Selection for Home Administration of Infusion Medication (nhia.org). For providers working in home infusion, we encourage you to review the NHIA Practice Standard for Electronic Mechanical Pump Selection and assess any changes needed within your infusion practice.
Moog Medical has also created an infographic and an education course to help clinicians understand the different methods of infusion that are available. Learn more about the education opportunities at https://www.moogmedical.com/resources/clinical/#ce and view the infographic below.
Vanessa Sumner RN, MSN
Clinical Training Specialist
Vanessa Sumner graduated from Ameritech College of Nursing in 2014 and started her career in nursing at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah specializing in Cardiovascular Nursing. She graduated in 2018 from Western Governors University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and again from the same University in 2019 with her Master of Science in Nursing Administration and Leadership. During that time, she continued her career working with the Heart Failure and Transplant Team at Intermountain Medical Center and with the Intermountain Medical Hospitalist Group. In 2020 she worked for Ameritech College of Nursing as a Clinical Instructor where she grew to love educating future nurses. She joined Moog in 2020 as our Clinical Training Specialist. She continues that love of educating by keep our internal employees up to date on the clinical aspects of infusion and enteral nutrition.
