Vessel Health and Preservation: a model and clinical pathway for using vascular access devices

Use of intravenous devices for the delivery of medical treatment spans all healthcare facilities ranging from hospitals to clinics and home care. Clinical pathways are processes used by healthcare providers to integrate and illustrate the best evidence and approach to care for a specific area of practice. The Vessel Health and Preservation (VHP) model is a framework and pathway process, consisting of four quadrants, to guide initiation and management of treatment requiring intravenous access. The pathway is designed to promote preservation of the vasculature of patients from admission through discharge with a focus on acute care. This article describes the model and pathway process. Moving through the quadrants of assessment/selection, insertion, management and evaluation of outcomes the clinician receives vascular access education to establish an understanding of the key principles and is then better able to provide care to the patient. Research on the VHP model has found that patients, clinicians and healthcare facilities benefit from the evidence integrated within the VHP model for improved outcomes, greater success with insertion, time saved through improved efficiency, risk reduced through appropriate device discontinuation, and greater patient satisfaction.