The NAVIGATE project: A GloVANet-WoCoVA position statement on the nomenclature for vascular access devices

The field of vascular access has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, improving healthcare delivery across various patient populations through the use of diverse intravascular access devices. Despite these innovations, a critical issue remains: the lack of a globally standardized set of descriptors for these devices. This gap impedes clear communication and coordination within the healthcare community. Recognizing the necessity for standardized terminology, the Global Vascular Access Network (GloVANet), in collaboration with the World Congress of Vascular Access (WoCoVA), initiated the NAVIGATE project (NomenclAture Via Integrated Global Advancements in Terminology Efficiencies). The aim of the project is to propose a clear and practical nomenclature for current vascular access devices, encompassing both central, peripheral venous, and arterial access devices. A panel of international vascular access experts from several clinical domains was selected by the Scientific Committee of WoCoVA to develop a position statement around vascular access device nomenclature. Following a comprehensive literature review, a consensus was reached using a modified Delphi process. The outcome of this collaborative effort is a WoCoVA/GloVANet position statement, which provides standardized nomenclature for vascular access devices. The adoption of unified terminology brings several benefits, firstly, it ensures clarity, reproducibility, and comparability when reporting in clinical studies, and secondly, reduces ambiguous or imprecise terms in communication between healthcare professionals in clinical practice.