Physician Alerts to Prevent DVT and Pulmonary Embolism in Hospitalized Patients

Background Information and Rationale for the Study:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is often avoidable in hospitalized patients because proven prevention strategies have been established for patients at risk. North American and European prophylaxis guidelines have been widely disseminated. However, despite intensive educational efforts, VTE prevention remains underutilized.

At Brigham and Women's Hospital, we undertook a comprehensive program aimed at increasing the frequency of VTE prophylaxis in high risk patients. This novel strategy required: 1) devising a risk score that reliably and quickly identified patients at high risk of VTE, and 2) conducting a randomized controlled trial in which high risk patients without prophylaxis were randomized into an intervention or control group. The intervention group's physicians received a single alert explaining that the patient was at high risk, was not receiving prophylaxis, and urged that prophylaxis be selected from a template of available pharmacological and mechanical options. In contrast, the control group's physicians received no alert.

Each of 8 common risk factors was weighted according to a point scale. At least 4 score points were required to be deemed at "high risk" for VTE.

3 of the 8 risk factors were considered major and were assigned a score of 3 points each: