Surgeon General's Workshop on Deep Vein ThrombosisAwareness and Best Practices Regarding Deep Vein Thrombosis Panel #51 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 SLIDE 1: Awareness and Best Practices Regarding Deep Vein Thrombosis Panel #5 Franklin A. Michota, MD SLIDE 2: Physician Best-Practice
Image of the cover of Chest 2004 SLIDE 3: Physician Best-Practice
(ballon pullquote) AHRQ Top patient safety practice according to strength of evidence
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has recently sponsored a report entitled "Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices". This report summarizes a systematic review of 79 patient safety interventions based on the strength of the evidence supporting more widespread implementation of these procedures. Here are the top ten safety practices according to the strength of the evidence As you can see, the highest ranked safety practice was the appropriate use of prophylaxis to prevent VTE in patients at risk. Photocopy of USA Today article – Wednesday January 21, 2004 (Balloon pullquote) “…doctors are not doing enough to prevent DVT cases.” The disconnect between evidence and execution as it relates to DVT
prevention amounts to a public health crisis" SLIDE 6: Public is Unaware of DVT
SLIDE 7: Advancing Awareness to Protect Patient Lives
February 26, 2003; Washington DC
Coalition to prevent deep vein thrombosis logo SLIDE 10: Public Awareness Campaign Screenshot photo of the Website Photo of a speaker at DVT Awareness Month SLIDE 11: Grassroots Out-reach From Coalition Members Examples of Grassroots Out-reach From Coalition Members web site screenshots Photos of media outlet logos SLIDE 13: Communications Tools Photo of 'Are you at risk for DVT?' brochure SLIDE 14: 109th Congress Senate Resolution 56
"Evaluate each patient upon admission, and regularly thereafter, for the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis/venous thromboembolism"
www.qualityforum.org To answer this question, we can turn to the National Quality Forum for some practical advice. The National Quality Forum or NQF has issued a consensus report that details 30 healthcare practices that should be universally utilized in applicable clinical care settings to reduce the risk of harm to patients. Although this set of safe practices is not intended to capture all activities that might reduce adverse healthcare events, it has been carefully reviewed and endorsed. From the NQF consensus report, it is recommended that patients should be evaluated upon admission, and regularly thereafter, for the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or venous thromboembolism. Furthermore, we should be utilizing clinically appropriate methods to prophylax against DVT which may lead to PE. My personal interpretation of these last several point is that we need to be looking at patients that enter our institutions for their respective risk of developing VTE, take the necessary steps to prevent VTE with appropriate strategies, and recognize that such an activity would improve quality of patient care and save money. What about your interpretation and conclusion? |
