Reducing Venous Thromboembolism Risk Through a Collaborative Team Approach

Abstract

PurposeVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable cause of death following surgical procedures and is associated with increased cost and patient complications. The purpose of this article is to outline a collaborative team approach to reducing VTE rates within an organization in an effort to increase the quality and safety of care provided. DesignAn interdisciplinary team collaborated on an approach to reduce VTE rates within the organization following a literature review of best practices related to risk assessment, nurse driven protocols, interdisciplinary collaboration, and autonomy. MethodsThrough an interdisciplinary collaborative effort, improvements were made toward decreasing rates of the patient safety indicator-12: perioperative pulmonary embolism/deep vein thrombosis. FindingsFollowing implementation of several initiatives, the VTE rate within the organization steadily decreased and has remained below benchmark for over 18 months. ConclusionThe successful improvements led by the interdisciplinary VTE Committee demonstrate the impact of best practices implemented through shared decision-making and autonomy.