Thrombosis UK is pleased to announce that entries are now being accepted for the 2024 VTE Awards.
The awards celebrate outstanding practice across healthcare services working to prevent and embed effective management of venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Applications are welcomed from all healthcare settings including secondary, primary, and community care.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) affects between 0.75 to 2.69 per 1000 individuals globally. In the U.K, upwards of 32,000 cases of hospital-associated VTE occur every year, 1 and it remains a leading preventable cause of hospital death. While most VTEs occur after an injury or medical event, the consequences of a VTE episode for the individual can have long-lasting and life-changing outcomes.
The NCEPOD 2019 publication ‘Know The Score 1’ evidenced wide variation in care for patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism (PE), this included:
This award recognises outstanding work undertaken by an individual or team to address gaps and opportunities in the VTE care pathway that recognises the physical and psychological impact a VTE can cause and works to ensure all patients receive information, are reviewed and have opportunity to discuss their VTE treatment and are sign posted to sources of further support.
This award recognises work undertaken by an individual or team to address gaps in patient information on the prevention of blood clots, awareness of risk factors, signs, symptoms and the importance of seeking help if a blood clot is suspected; or area of management after a diagnosis of thrombosis.
This is an award given to an individual or team who have identified an area of concern across VTE prevention, management or patient experience, and as a result, undertaken a Quality Improvement programme which yielded significant and sustainable improvement in the identified area leading to improved patient outcomes.
Acute deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), as a component of venous thromboembolism (VTE), is a common and potentially life-threatening disorder.i,ii
The diagnosis of DVT relies on clinical suspicion, followed by investigation including a Wells score and D-dimer assay, sonography, and intervention with anticoagulation as soon as possible.iii. Short-term treatment is effective, reducing the risk of recurrent disease from 25% to approximately 3% during the first 6 to 12 months.iv
This award seeks nominations for a team / service which can evidence the improvement in patient outcome through implementation of an effective DVT pathway. It will be able to evidence both improved outcome, patient experience and clinician support to initiate examination and investigation for thrombosis.
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