When Transitions Break Down: Real-World Challenges and Lessons Learned in Myeloma Care Handoffs

In this episode, 'When Transitions Break Down: Real-World Challenges and Lessons Learned in Myeloma Care Handoffs,' the oncology pharmacists explore the following question:

Can you describe a case where the transition was difficult or broke down, and what did you take away from that experience?

The panelists examined real-world cases where academic-to-community transitions did not go as planned, identifying two recurring categories of breakdown that each carry important lessons for the field. The first involved misaligned expectations between the academic center and the receiving community practice: a patient was told they would be able to transition to a local clinic on a specific date, only for the community site to discover that the necessary prior authorization transfer, records collection, and logistical preparation required a minimum of two weeks to complete, resulting in a patient who had to remain at the original site longer than anticipated and experienced significant distress when their expected timeline was not met. The second breakdown involved a community site that had agreed to receive a patient for maintenance dosing, only to discover at the last minute that they had not completed REMS enrollment for the specific bispecific antibody product, leaving the patient without a local option for their next dose and requiring them to return to the academic center, an outcome that highlighted the critical importance of explicitly confirming REMS readiness and product-specific capabilities at the community site well in advance of any planned transition rather than assuming that provider agreement implies operational readiness.

Throughout the conversation, the experts provide a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.

The next episode in this series, 'Remote Patient Monitoring in Myeloma: How Technology Is Transforming Bispecific Antibody Management,' features the panelists advancing their conversation on multiple myeloma and focusing on how remote patient monitoring is being implemented in both academic and community settings to support patients receiving bispecific antibody therapy.