Better Evaluation of the Risks of Venous Thromboembolic Diseases

Context

Venous thromboembolic disease is characterized by a blood clot that affects blood circulation. Two forms of this disease are especially well-recognized: phlebitis, which affects the lower limbs, and pulmonary embolism.
This occurs in 100 to 150 patients every year at the HUG, or 2% of non-surgical hospitalizations. A portion of these events can be averted by prescription of anticoagulants at a prophylactic dose, if this is sufficient.
However, it has been shown that thrombotic prophylaxis is improperly used in a significant proportion of patients in Switzerland, whether by failure to treat high-risk patients or by non-indicated prescription in low-risk patients.
 

Project

The project aims to remedy this drug safety problem by implementing a new score of predicted risk in patients’ electronic records. It also involves teaching teams and developing an indicator of quality to measure the proper use of thrombotic prophylaxis, and then establishing multimodal intervention with evaluation of effectiveness on the risks of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events.

project manager

Dr. Marc Blondon, Internist, Angiology and Hemostasis Division, Department of Medical Specialties, Geneva University Hospitals