Community Practice Connections™: Venous Thromboembolism: Patient-Centric and Guideline-Directed Strategies for Optimal Coordinated Care

Target Audience

The target audience for this activity is internists and internal medicine subspecialists. Other primary care providers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other health care professionals involved in VTE management are invited to participate as well.

Program Overview

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious and underdiagnosed medical condition that manifests as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) and can cause serious illness, disability, and death. It is important for primary care providers to recognize VTE in its early stages to effectively use evidence-based therapies to prevent serious complications, monitor patients being treated at home, and establish prophylactic care plans to prevent recurrent episodes. The goal of this program is to update internists on VTE guidelines and provide expert analysis of the efficacy and safety findings of recent clinical trials in patients with VTE. Expert clinicians will also review recommendations in diagnosis and management and strategies to encourage patient adherence to therapy.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Discuss approaches to the evaluation of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the outpatient setting
Apply guideline-based recommendations toward the selection of pharmacotherapy for patients with VTE
Analyze the clinical efficacy and safety findings that support pharmacotherapy recommendations in VTE treatment guidelines
Describe best practices for transitions of care across health care settings among patients with DVT
Develop strategies with patients and their caregivers to optimize treatment adherence and patient safety