VTE - Resources

• Audio conferences
• Resources for prevention
  • VTE toolkits
  • National initiatives and tools
• Selected guidelines for VTE prevention
• Assessment tools, case study, sample order sets 
• Premier Solutions

 

Audio conferences

• Joint Commission Anticoagulation Update: 2009 NPSG– Feb 10, 2009
  Sanford Benjamin, M.D., Medical Director of Laboratories CMC-Mercy Hospital, Charlotte, NC
  Stephanie Dale, Pharm.D., Clinical Coordinator Dept. of Pharmacy, CMC Mercy Hospital Charlotte
  James S. Kalus, PharmD., Senior Manager, Patient Care Services, Pharmacy, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI
  Downloadable materials include slides and a recording of the audio conference
• VTE Prevention: from quality to safety - May 20, 2008
  Alpesh Amin, M.D., M.B.A. Executive Director, Hospitalist Program and Medical Director, Anticoagulation Services, University of California, Irvine George Whitelaw, President, Strategic Marketing Technologies
  Downloadable materials include articles, slides and recording of the audio conference

Resources for prevention

Guidelines for prophylaxis, educational programs, and tools for implementing successful prevention programs are available from a number of organizations. A few key resources are highlighted below.

VTE toolkits

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored research
Preventing Venous Thromboembolisms in the Hospital and the Interactive Venous Thromboembolism Safety Toolkit for Providers and Patients toolkits focus on multidisciplinary approaches to the elimination of preventable hospital-acquired blood clots.

• Preventing Venous Thromboembolisms in the Hospital
  The Society of Hospital Medicine provides a Web site with multiple resources for VTE prevention including tools such as the VTE implementation guide and a 'snapshot' or template of a prevention plan.
  Download SHM Template (.doc) (120KB)
  Download SHM –AHRQ Implementation Guide (pdf)(914KB)
  or go to http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/ See also National Initiatives-AHRQ
  http://www.hospitalmedicine.org/
• University of Washington, Seattle - Interactive VTE safety toolkit
  Interactive Venous Thromboembolism Safety Toolkit for Providers and Patients
  University of Washington, Seattle AHRQ Grant No. HS015898-01
  This project implements safe practice interventions for patients with venous thromboembolism. An interactive safety toolkit contains multiple evidence-based tools for providers and patients to improve the safety of the process for the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism, including:
  • Patient education materials.
  • Prevention guidelines.
  • Screening and assessment materials.
  • Treatment pathways.
  Toolkit Web site: http://vte.son.washington.edu/

National initiatives and tools

• US Surgeon General
  • Call to Action To Prevent Deep Vein Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism - 2008
• AHRQ
  • Preventing Hospital Acquired Venous Thromboembolism - A Guide for Effective Quality Improvement, 2008 (See also AHRQ Research: SHM –AHRQ Implementation Guide)
  • Consumer Guide to Preventing and Treating Blood Clots -August 2008
    or go to http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/bloodclots.pdf
  • Spanish-Language 13 page pamphlet explains safe and effective use of blood thinners – Your Guide to Coumadin®Warfarin Therapy helps Spanish-speaking patients know what to expect while using blood thinners. Printed copies of the English version are available by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.
• CDC
  • Health Information for International Travel, 2008 Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
    Go to: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh6-Embolism.aspx
• CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -
  Surgical care improvement project
  CMS's surgical care improvement project (SCIP) includes a process measure for
  • Premier Web site - SCIP
    http://www.premierinc.com/quality-safety/tools-services/safety/topics/scip
  • MedQIC – Support for state Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO)
    http://www.medqic.org/scip
  • MedQIC –VTE related tools, literature, presentations, FAQs
    http://www.medqic.org/
• IHI Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  
  • IHI provides a comprehensive approach to preventing harm, educational tools and more resources for caregivers and families. One tool, the "Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Incidence Calculator" was developed by the Society of Hospital Medicine and can be used to estimate the number of hospital-acquired VTE and the proportion that are potentially preventable.
    http://www.ihi.org/
  • Enter the number of beds at your hospital and the current VTE prophylaxis rate in the specified cells, and the tool will automatically calculate the incidence rate.
    Download VTE calculator (.xls) (20KB) for complete instructions.

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Selected guidelines for VTE prevention

AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

• "Diagnosis and treatment of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism "Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 68." Segal JB, Eng J, Jenckes MW, et al. AHRQ Publication No. 03-E016. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
  March 2003.
  Download VTE -TA (.pdf) (594KB)
  http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/dvt/dvt.pdf

American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians

• Management of Venous Thromboembolism: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Available with subscription from Ann Intern Med. 2007;146: 204-210
  http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/146/3/204.pdf

American College of Chest Physicians

• Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism: The Seventh ACCP Conference on Antihrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. Geerts WH, et al CHEST 2004; 126:338S–400S. Provides current peer-reviewed recommendations for prevention of VTE.
  http://www.chestnet.org/education/guidelines/currentGuidelines.php

NGC National Guideline Clearinghouse

• The National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC), a public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. NGC is an initiative of AHRQ—and searchable on desired topics. The general link is provided here – Search on VTE.
  http://www.guideline.gov

NQF National Quality Forum

• "National Consensus Standards for the Prevention and Care of Venous Thromboembolism (including Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism)" In 2003, recognizing that the incidence of DVT/VTE is a significant patient safety issue, NQF endorsed Safe Practice 17: Evaluate each patient upon admission, and regularly thereafter, for the risk of developing DVT/VTE. Utilize clinically appropriate methods to prevent DVT/VTE and Safe Practice 18: Utilize dedicated anti-thrombotic (anticoagulation) services that facilitate coordinated care management. NQF builds on Safe Practices 17 and 18 by developing and endorsing consensus standards in DVT/VTE prevention and care. Voting on the proposed standard will be completed by late March 2008.
  Download NQF draft  (pdf)(180KB) or go to
  http://216.122.138.39/projects/ongoing/vte/index.asp

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Assessment tools, case study, sample order sets

• Research slides, physician and nurse risk assessments, sample order sets, assessment screens for electronic charting, case study approaches for prevention of DVT.
  View and download

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Premier Solutions

View all of Premier's solutions on preventing venous thromboembolisms.

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