Relevance
This module is designed for all health professionals involved in the prevention of hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) and associated follow-up care in the community. It is intended to provide guidance and a general overview regarding the prevention of VTE and does not override clinical decision making for individual patients. Local procedures and protocols should always be consulted for specific clinical situations relevant to your institution.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module you will be able to:
- define VTE and its prevalence
- explain why it is important to prevent VTE in hospital and following discharge
- explain how to undertake a VTE risk assessment
- develop a VTE prevention plan, including communicating with patients, carers and health care professionals
- describe VTE prevention and documentation methods
- describe how to reassess risk and monitor the patient for VTE related complications
- describe the critical factors regarding the transfer of care of a patient in regards to VTE considerations and the use of anticoagulants
- describe where to assess more information and resources to support best practice for VTE prevention.