Promoting patient safety and improving the quality of patient care
Tag: VTE
The month of March is blood clot awareness month. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
Anyone can be affected by a blood clot regardless of age, gender, or race. This Blood Clot Awareness Month, learn the signs and symptoms of a blood clot and find free resources to share with friends, family, and colleagues to help raise awareness about blood clots.
Editor’s note: Our understanding of COVID-19 symptomatology is evolving as the current pandemic unfolds. The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis has collected a number of studies and case reports on thrombosis in COVID-19 patients. The Journal of American College of Cardiology released a review of current understanding, citing many of the studies and case reports which are on the ISTH site. This COVID-19 pandemic challenges us to use current knowledge and innovate new approaches to care for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. This article seeks to summarize some of the current knowledge about thrombosis in COVID-19 patients, knowing that future studies and case reports will undoubtedly refine the statements made below. However, this is science, continually evolving and improving based on current understanding. With that, this article offers some insights about VTE in patients admitted to the hospital who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
By Michael Wong (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), Laurie Paletz, BSN PHN RN BC SCRN (Manager, Stroke Program Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai), and Thereza B. Ayad, RN, MSN, DNP, CNOR (Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Graduate School of Nursing; Surgical Services Clinical Staff Educator, North Shore Medical Center)
(reviewed by Sue Koob, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association and Pat Salber, MD, MBA, Editor-in-Chief, DoctorWeighsIn)
Continue reading “COVID-19 Patients Are at a Greater Risk of Blood Clots”
In celebration of World Thrombosis Day 2019, here are four much-watch videos on the need to assess all maternal patients for the risk of VTE and to provide the recommended prophylaxis treatment, depending on whether the mother is antepartum or postpartum.
Blood Clots Are Preventable in Pregnant Mothers
Blood clots are preventable in pregnant mothers, but to make this happen, all maternal patients need to be assessed for the risk of DVT and, if the patient is found to be at risk, the patient must be provided the recommended prophylactic treatments. In this video, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director) discusses PPAHS put together an expert panel to develop the OB VTE Safety Recommendations. He encourages all maternal patients to be assessed and treated for VTE.
Anticoagulants (more commonly referred to as blood thinners) are routinely used to treat, prevent and reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which consists of prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
According to World Thrombosis Day, 1 in 4 people worldwide are dying from conditions caused by thrombosis:
Continue reading “National Patient Safety Goal to Reduce the Patient Harm from Anticoagulants”
Patient advocates and leading medical societies involved in awareness building and improving patient safety in Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) gathered recently for the 1st Annual Anticoagulation Summit, a two-day conference.
Michael Wong, JD, founder and Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), presented a poster on the OB VTE Safety Recommendations, which were released by PPAHS, in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the National Perinatal Association. The recommendations, compiled by a panel of health experts, give clinicians a step-by-step checklist to help assess all OB patients’ risks for VTE and identify the appropriate prophylaxis regimen to improve health outcomes for maternal patients. Continue reading “PPAHS Participates in 1st Annual Anticoagulation Summit”
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released findings on practical solutions to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement from its Orthopedic VTE Report.
Continue reading “Key Aspects of the PPAHS Orthopedic VTE Report”
This week in #patientsafety, we’re back in the swing of things. We bring you highlights from Joan Rivers’ death and subsequent lawsuit. We also released findings from our Orthopedic Safety Survey. From around the web, an orthopedic surgeon shares thoughts on how pain scores led to the opioid epidemic, a study looks at the impact of opioid policies, and ECRI Institute releases the 2017 Top 10 Hospital C-suite Watch List.
Highlights From Joan Rivers’ Death and Lawsuit. Based on discussions at a recent meeting of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) New Jersey chapter.
Orthopedic VTE Safety Report Now Available. We released findings from a survey on practical solutions to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement.
Making pain a vital sign caused the opioid crisis. Here’s how. This orthopedic surgeon makes the case that, despite good intentions, making pain a vital sign was a disastrous mistake.
Measuring the Impact of Opioid Policies. Federal agencies have issued policies to curb the opioid epidemic. MedPage Today looks at whether these policies are making an impact.
2017 Top 10 Hospital C-suite Watch List. Number 2 on ECRI’s latest list is opioid addiction. The report posits what role technology can have in predicting the risk of addiction and relapse, as well as provides five action points for better opioid safety.
We’re saying “hello” to December, and looking back at some of PPAHS’ top posts and tweets in November.
This month, as part of our new campaign targeting VTE in orthopedic patients, PPAHS was invited to become a partner of World Thrombosis Day! We also provided bittersweet coverage regarding opioid safety, including celebrating St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System’s (SJ/C) 12-years event-free and opioid safety’s place – once again – on ECRI’s Top 10 Health Technology Hazards. Continue reading “Top 10 Patient Safety Must Reads – November 2016”
The following is an excerpt of an article on bundled payments for joint replacement written by Michael Wong, JD, Executive Director of PPAHS and Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC, Clinical Nurse Consultant at PPAHS. It was first appeared on The Doctor Weighs In on November 18, 2016. To read the full article, please click here.
Continue reading “Why Bundled Payments for Joint Replacement May Be Risky for Patients”
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety has been invited to become a partner of World Thrombosis Day, an international multi-organizational campaign devoted to increasing global awareness about thrombosis, including its causes, risk factors, signs/symptoms, evidence-based prevention and treatments.
World Thrombosis Day aims to highlight the need for action on thrombosis, specifically underscoring the unrecognized threat and serious consequences (morbidity and mortality) related to venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Continue reading “Physician-Patient Alliance Partners with World Thrombosis Day”