Reducing Venous Thromboembolism Risk Through a Collaborative Team Approach.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant, preventable cause of surgical mortality.
• VTE is linked to increased healthcare costs and adverse patient outcomes.
• Effective VTE prevention strategies are crucial for surgical patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail a collaborative, interdisciplinary strategy for reducing VTE incidence in a healthcare organization.
• To enhance the quality and safety of surgical care through VTE rate reduction.
• To outline a model for organizational VTE prevention.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary team conducted a literature review to identify VTE best practices.
• Key areas of focus included risk assessment, nurse-driven protocols, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Implementation of evidence-based initiatives was guided by shared decision-making principles.

Main Results:

• A sustained decrease in the organization's VTE rate was achieved.
• The VTE rate has remained below the established benchmark for over 18 months.
• Improvements targeted the patient safety indicator-12 for perioperative pulmonary embolism/deep vein thrombosis.

Conclusions:

• An interdisciplinary committee successfully reduced VTE rates through strategic initiatives.
• The findings underscore the effectiveness of best practices implemented via shared decision-making and autonomy.
• This collaborative approach demonstrates a significant positive impact on patient safety and care quality.