Addressing Facility Concerns About Overseeing Self-Infusion or Self-Injection

Facility staff may have concerns about overseeing a patient who self-infuses or self-injects bleeding disorder medication, particularly if they are unfamiliar with the process. It's important to reassure the team that from a medical perspective, the individual is fully competent to self-administer their medication and does not require clinical assistance during the infusion.

Reassuring Facilities About Overseeing Self-Infusion

• "I understand your team may be unfamiliar with patients who self-infuse or self-inject, and that can raise some concerns. I want to reassure you that from a medical perspective, [insert patient name] is fully competent to self-administer their medication."

• "That said, it’s important that your behavioral health team assesses whether the patient is currently able to self-administer safely in the context of their mental health or substance use condition. This includes looking at things like mental state, behavioral stability, willingness to participate in treatment, and any safety concerns around sharps.”

• "If your team determines that [insert patient name] is behaviorally capable of self-administering, the facility’s role would simply be to provide staff oversight during the infusion."

• "Oversight is just to ensure two things:

  1. The medication is administered exactly as prescribed, and

  2. Supplies are used only for their intended medical purpose."

• "You don’t need to perform the infusion or be trained in the clinical aspects—just be present to observe and support safe administration."

• "I’d be happy to provide your team with written guidance or a short video so you know exactly what to expect."

Demonstration Videos for Facility Staff

To help reassure facility staff and prepare them for overseeing a patient who self-infuses or self-injects, you can send short, trusted demonstration videos. These videos provide clear, step-by-step visuals so staff know exactly what to expect and can feel more confident in their oversight role.

Recommended Videos (from Children's Minnesota):

• “How to give factor by peripheral infusion” 

• “How to give a subcutaneous injection”
  

“I’m including links to two short videos from Children’s Minnesota that show how a patient with a bleeding disorder administers their medication—either by peripheral infusion or subcutaneous injection. These are great tools for your staff to see what the process looks like so they feel more comfortable providing basic oversight.”