Expanded access care programs are also known as compassionate use programs. These programs can be explained as a medical route for patients who have been diagnosed with severe, life-threatening conditions to gain access to clinical trial treatments or investigational treatments that aren’t yet FDA-approved.
With this, patients suffering from critical illness who have already tried all available treatment plans will have access to additional treatment options.
Let’s take a look at the primary benefits of opting for expanded access care if you meet the criteria for this medical pathway.
Early Treatment Access
It can feel defeating for any patient to discover existing approved treatment plans are not helping. It might feel like hope is lost. However, healthcare practitioners are constantly working on new and better treatment options.
However, because it takes time for treatments to receive approval from regulatory entities, patients suffering from critical and severe chronic illnesses can consider expanded access to forgo waiting too long.
Increased Quality Of Life
Patients who opt for expanded access care typically enjoy a higher quality because treatment plans will alleviate some symptoms while aiming to slow the progressions of the illness or achieve complete remission.
When chronic and critical illness symptoms like pain, brain fog, fatigue, and others are managed well, patients are able to enjoy life more.
Personalized Treatment
Expanded access care focuses a lot more on personalizing treatments for each patient. Tailoring treatment caters better to patient needs, which means you may receive even better care than you would when trying approved treatment routes.
Personalized treatments are also more effective in soothing symptoms, reducing side effects, and assisting the medical sector with potentially life-saving research.
Lend A Hand In Improving Healthcare For Others
Opting for expanded care means you will be a part of the early trial and clinical tests of the treatment. This means that taking part in investigational treatments will help the process for other patients that can later benefit from the treatment. During these treatment programs, data is collected that can then be applied to the entire patient population.
Contributing to medical research is an overlooked advantage of seeking early treatment options. You won’t only benefit your own quality of life but possibly that of countless others as well.
Potential Breakthroughs
In many cases, expanded access has led to the development and discovery of new medical treatments. While treatments start as experimental, many later become medical breakthroughs that benefit future patients.
While expanded access is a motivating option for those with critical and chronic illness, the program is subject to fairly strict regulatory and ethical guidelines. These guidelines, or requirements, ensure patient safety.
If you are choosing expanded access care programs, you will work closely with healthcare practitioners to evaluate all the risks and benefits with consideration to your unique case. The seriousness of your condition, other available treatment options results, the patient population size, and medication status are all factors that will determine whether or not you are eligible for expanded access care programs.