A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Project Leads to Improved Patient Follow-up and Filter Retrieval Rate

To identify risk factors for loss to follow-up after inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement in inpatients of other departments (IODs) and to determine whether a quality improvement project launched at our institution in April 2022 improved follow-up and filter retrieval rates in these patients.

Consecutive patients who underwent retrievable filter placement at our institution between March 2021 and March 2023 were included in this study. Patients were divided into preimprovement (before April 2022; n = 81) and postimprovement (after April 2022; n = 77) groups. Risk factors for loss to follow-up were assessed in the preimprovement group, and filter retrieval rates were compared between groups.

Acute cerebral hemorrhage (OR = 5.745; 95% CI: 1.471-22.434) and lack of requirement for follow-up by the referring department (OR = 3.435; 95% CI: 1.035-11.398) were identified as independent risk factors for loss to follow-up. The filter retrieval rate was higher in the postimprovement group (94.8%) than in the preimprovement group (69.1%; P < 0.001). The rate of loss to follow-up was lower in the postimprovement group (5.2%) than in the preimprovement group (30.9%; P < 0.001). The preimprovement group had a higher incidence of IVC perforation (9.6%) than the postimprovement group (0; P = 0.019) at the time of filter retrieval.

Acute cerebral hemorrhage and lack of requirement for follow-up by the referring department are independent risk factors for loss to follow-up among IODs. The quality improvement project at our institution improved follow-up and IVC filter retrieval rates in IODs.