Outpatient deep vein thrombosis treatment models

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W A Leong1

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Burnaby Hospital, British Columbia, Canada.

Pharmacotherapy
|December 16, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Over 40% of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients can be safely treated at home using low-molecular-weight heparin. This outpatient approach avoids hospitalization and reduces healthcare costs.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) affects approximately 9000 Canadian patients annually.
  • Current standard treatment involves 5-10 days of inpatient intravenous unfractionated heparin therapy, incurring significant costs.
  • A substantial proportion of uncomplicated DVT cases are suitable for outpatient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the feasibility and benefits of outpatient treatment for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
  • To identify core models for implementing successful outpatient DVT treatment programs.
  • To reduce healthcare costs associated with DVT management.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing DVT treatment protocols and resource utilization.
  • Identification and description of five core models for outpatient DVT management.
  • Pilot implementation of a medical day care clinic model at Burnaby Hospital.

Main Results:

  • Over 40% of uncomplicated DVT patients (3600 annually in Canada) can be safely treated as outpatients.
  • Outpatient treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin offers a cost-effective alternative to hospitalization.
  • Interim evaluation of the Burnaby Hospital pilot program demonstrated overwhelming success.

Conclusions:

  • Outpatient management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a safe and effective strategy.
  • Implementation of structured outpatient DVT programs can optimize resource use and reduce healthcare expenditures.
  • Five distinct models exist to facilitate the adoption of outpatient DVT treatment across various healthcare settings.

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