Find a Healthcare Provider
There is one question that NBCA receives more frequently than any others: How can I find a doctor who specializes in blood clotting disorders? Finding a healthcare professional who understands fully the complexities of blood clotting disorders, and who you can trust and consider a good partner in your care, is one of the most important decisions you will make if you think you may be at risk for blood clots, or if you have been diagnosed with blood clots in your legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) or blood clots in your lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE).
Sometimes, the best source to help you find a specialist will be your family physician or internist. He or she can usually refer you to specialists in your community who are focused on the diagnosis and treatment of blood clotting disorders and blood clots. However, if you have trouble finding a specialist in your community, you can pursue one or more of the resources below to find a healthcare professional or specialist in your area who will be able to help you. We also share information below about external resources related to genetic counseling and insurance.
If you have any questions as you work with the resources below, please contact info@stoptheclot.org.
The Anticoagulation Forum
The Anticoagulation Forum, also known as the AC Forum, is the largest organization of anticoagulant service providers in North America. Their membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, nurses, and pharmacists representing more than 2,800 anticoagulation clinics nationwide. Members of the AC Forum care for more than 900,000 patients each year, and exist as specialized centers to assist people who use anticoagulation treatment or blood thinning medications.
The AC Forum offers an online search tool that may help you identify AC Forum Clinics in your local community. Any of these clinics can connect you to the type of specialized care you need.
To find an AC Forum clinic in your community, click on the following link, and then select your state from the dropdown menu: Find an AC Forum Clinic.
The American Society of Hematology
The American Society of Hematology, also known as ASH, has more than 17,000 members from nearly 100 countries, and is the world’s largest professional society serving both clinicians and scientists around the world who are working to conquer blood diseases. ASH may be able to help you find a hematologist in your community who specializes in blood clotting disorders and thrombosis and hemostasis.
To help you find a hematologist, click on the following link, and follow the instructions: Find a Hematologist. To best use this tool, fill in your City, State, and Postal Code, and then select the mile radius you would like to search from the dropdown box under “Zip Code.” At the final dropdown box called “Clinical Interests,” click on “Thrombosis and Hemostasis/Blood Clotting” or other specialty of your interest, and then click “Search.”
ASH also offers some helpful tips for talking with your healthcare professional: Talking with Your Doctor.
Treatment Centers Specializing in Thrombosis and Thrombophilia
Treatment Centers Specializing in Thrombosis and Thrombophilia exist as part of a network of specialized healthcare centers that work to prevent and reduce complications from certain blood disorders. These healthcare centers are funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC, and include hemophilia treatment centers, or HTCs. Some, but not all of these HTCs provide care to patients with blood clotting disorders or thrombosis and thrombophilia.
To help you find a specialized treatment center, click the following link: Treatment Centers Specializing in Thrombosis or Thrombophilia and Hemophilia Treatment Centers
The Society for Vascular Surgery
The Society for Vascular Surgery has a useful tool to help you find a vascular surgeon, or to provide more information about venous disease.
To access this information, follow this link: Find a Vascular Surgeon
National Society of Genetic Counselors
Genetic counseling services, or genetic counselors, can help families at risk for inherited conditions investigate the problem present in the family, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns, interpret risks to family members, and review available management options. Genetic counseling may be valuable for those who have questions about hereditary thrombophilia(s) in their family. Specifically, genetic counseling may be helpful in answering questions about inheritance, genetic testing of family members, and insurance discrimination.
For more information about genetic counseling, visit the following link: National Society of Genetic Counselors.
Health Insurance Resources
If you are currently without healthcare coverage, this tool will point you in the direction of resources to fit your individual circumstances: National UNInsured Resource Directory & Financial Resource. This online directory can provide you with a list of resources that address medical debt crisis, financial assistance, charity assistance programs, and job retention related programs.
If you currently need additional healthcare coverage, this tool will point you in the direction of resources to fit your individual circumstances: National UNDERInsured Resource Directory & Financial Resource. This resource is uniquely tailored to meet your individual situation encompassing financial resources, disease specific resources, location based services, employment aid, and general care resources for patients that are not fully served by their current insurance. This resource also contains a list of sample questions that can be used when speaking to your providers or insurance representatives.
- It is important to select a health plan that covers the full range of treatment options that you need. See this resource from the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health about navigating open enrollment.
