Coram, a CVS specialty business, provides high-quality infusion and tube-feeding care to patients where they live, work and travel. For younger patients, that list now includes where they play.
As part of enhancing the consumer experience, Coram pediatric patients who receive home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) and enteral (tube-feeding) nutrition can carry their pump and nutrition in a backpack that’s sized just for them.
Coram Pediatric Pump Pals backpacks enable children and teens to carry their portable pump and nutrition while they participate in normal activities while infusing.
About 1,200 pediatric patients use the parenteral backpacks, while nearly 1,600 utilize the enteral packs for school and other activities.
“The entire system fits nicely into these small backpacks for little ones,” said Karen Hamilton, Director of Clinical Nutrition for CVS Health. “They can be worn by the patient or hung nearby throughout the infusion.” As with all home infusion therapies, the intent is for the patient to be as mobile as possible.
“Our backpacks give young patients the freedom to leave the house and live their lives,” said Hamilton. “Gone are the days of being homebound and having to miss out on activities, birthday parties and other events. The backpacks are designed to be fun and not look medical.”
Coram CVS Specialty Infusion Services delivers high-quality infusion therapy services in home-based and outpatient settings to more than 183,000 patients per year. Services are provided at more than 90 locations nationwide, as well as through the largest home infusion network in the country.
Coram’s home-based care includes nutrition, delivered either intravenously when the digestive tract is not functional and necessary for patients to maintain adequate nutrition, as well as through tube-feeding. Patients may receive parenteral or enteral nutrition for weeks or months until their issues resolve, or may even need care for their lifetime.
The Coram Pediatric Pump Pals backpacks connect to a portable infusion pump that has been pre-programmed by the Coram pharmacy team to deliver the nutrition over a specified amount of time with each pump customized to the unique patient’s needs.
“I remember the days with the challenges when we had pediatric patients and no backpacks. Then we progressed to an initial mini- adult pack for these little patients,” said Wanda Rogers, Director of Pharmacy Infusion. “This is a wonderful advancement to have these young patients ambulate with color and fit into the typical daily activities.”