Percent of Surgery Patients Receiving Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Appropriately
Why Is This Important?
Many factors influence a surgery patient's risk of developing a blood clot (venous thromboembolism), including the type of surgery. When patients stay still for a long time after some types of surgery, they are more likely to develop a blood clot in the veins of the legs, thighs or pelvis. A blood clot slows down the flow of blood, causing swelling, redness and pain. A blood clot can also break off and travel to other parts of the body. If the blood clot gets into the lung, it is a serious problem that can sometimes cause death.
About This Graph
Treatments to help prevent blood clots from forming after surgery include blood-thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical air stockings that help with blood flow in the legs. These treatments need to be started at the right time, which is typically during the period that begins 24 hours before surgery and ends 24 hours after surgery. This graph indicates how frequently these treatments were initiated at the right time at UMass Memorial Medical Center as compared with other Massachusetts and U.S. hospitals. Higher percentages are better. (Graph data: Jan 2011 - Dec 2011.)
How Are We Doing?
While we have consistently achieved a level of performance above our peers nationally as well as statewide, our goal is to reach 100 percent in this measure for all patients at all times. To that end, we continue to monitor our care to identify any incidences where we did not meet the standard. Every incidence when we do not meet the standard is reviewed with a multidisciplinary team in order to identify barriers to care and implement processes to help us improve. Results are updated quarterly in order to provide the most up-to-date information.