Safety, Efficacy, and Cost Effectiveness of Therapeutic Apheresis - Health Technology Case Study 23: Medical Technology and Costs of the Medicare Program

摘要

Apheresis is a procedure in which blood is separated into its basic components (red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma), and one or more of these is selectively removed from the blood. It is applied therapeutically for the purpose of curing, alleviating, or treating a disease or its symptoms. The procedure can take several forms, though it is usually accomplished by removing venous whole blood from the body, separating the blood into cellular and noncellular (plasma) parts or 'fractions', and returning the cellular fraction to the patient. This case study (1) provides definitions and descriptions of the various types of apheresis technology, along with perspectives on the history and etiology of apheresis use, (2) describes the current treatment process and future trends, (3) reviews research on the scientific and medical aspects of therapeutic apheresis, (4) focuses on reimbursement and cost-effectiveness issues, and (5) discusses policy implications.