Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Initiative (Retired)

The VTE initiative launched in January of 2011 and data on over 100,000 cases has been collected to date.  Through participation, member hospitals have successfully increased rates of VTE risk assessment, pharmacologic prophylaxis in patients at risk of developing a VTE, and mechanical prophylaxis in patients with contraindications to prophylaxis.  Data from the collaborative has shown that some hospitalized medical patients are at minimal risk of developing a VTE.  Consequently, member hospitals have had success avoiding prophylaxis in this low-risk population.  Minimizing the use of drugs that have associated risks and costs is viewed as valuable by the collaborative.  Because of the progress that has been made on the performance measures for this initiative, it has been moved into maintenance mode.  A smaller number of elements will be collected to ensure that the performance gains that have been made at participating hospitals are not lost. 

Performance Goals

  • All hospitalized medicine patients should have a VTE risk assessment completed on admission.
  • Medicine patients without contraindications most at risk of developing a VTE should receive pharmacologic prophylaxis.
  • Medicine patients with contraindications to pharmacologic prophylaxis most at risk of developing a VTE should receive mechanical prophylaxis.
  • Medicine patients at low risk of developing a VTE should not receive pharmacological prophylaxis.  

Avoiding Prophylaxis in the Low Risk- Recording

Avoiding Prophylaxis in the Low Risk - Slides

Click here to access the HMS VTE Toolkit.