The National Blood Clot Alliance and partner organizations announced the launch of the Get Out the Clot campaign in advance of World Thrombosis Day on October 13 to identify gaps in patient care related to blood clot conditions, standardize care and expand access to the latest innovations to improve patient outcomes.
The campaign is a collaborative educational initiative, bringing together NBCA, The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN), The PERT Consortium and Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM).
“Every October, the ISTH leads the global charge with World Thrombosis Day, shining a spotlight on the critical yet often overlooked condition of thrombosis,” said Pantep Angchaisuksiri, M.D., ISTH President. “This year’s launch of the Get Out the Clot initiative is a call to action, rallying leaders in the field to combine their expertise and resources to significantly improve the lives of patients affected by blood clots. Together, we can drive change and save lives.”
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a medical condition characterized by the formation of blood clots in veins, effects up to 900,000 Americans annually leading to approximately 100,000 deaths and up to $10 billion in associated costs. VTE encompasses deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the formation of a clot in a deep vein most commonly in the legs, and pulmonary embolism (PE) where a blood clot obstructs flow in one or more arteries in the lung.
“Given the incredibly high prevalence of VTE, it is critical that health systems create standardized care paths to help facilitate prompt diagnosis and implementation of appropriate treatment interventions,” said Herb Aronow, M.D., MPH, Past President, Society for Vascular Medicine.
Recognizing a need to standardize the care approach for this patient population, VTE or PE response teams (PERTs) have begun to develop at institutions. These teams streamline care through a collaborative multidisciplinary approach by engaging experts with the knowledge of and access to a broad spectrum of resources and treatments, potentially improving patient outcomes.
“The Get Out the Clot campaign raises awareness of the critical need for a collaborative approach to care,” said Rachel Rosovsky, M.D., MPH, Immediate Past President, The PERT Consortium. “The PERT Consortium is proud to be part of this initiative and we are committed to working together to improve the care and outcomes for patients with blood clot conditions.”
The current standards of care in the treatment of VTE include anticoagulation and clot-dissolving drugs such as thrombolytics. Studies have shown that newer treatments such as computer assisted vacuum thrombectomy and mechanical thrombectomy can remove blood clots quickly while also reducing hospital length of stay, lowering the risk of bleeding or invasive surgery, and improving patient outcomes. An objective of the Get Out the Clot campaign is to ensure that physicians are aware of and have access to these newer treatments.
“As a PE survivor who personally experienced delays in diagnosis and initially received the wrong treatment protocol, I understand how devastating these gaps in care can be,” said Leslie Lake, volunteer president of the National Blood Clot Alliance. “The Get Out the Clot campaign is a crucial step toward changing that reality. By uniting experts and standardizing care, we can prevent the delays and misdiagnoses that cost lives, ensuring that more people receive the urgent, life-saving treatment they need.”
“At Penumbra, our focus has always been to advance novel technologies to improve patient care worldwide,” said James F. Benenati, M.D., FSIR, chief medical officer at Penumbra, the world’s leading thrombectomy company. “By working together with these leading organizations in vascular care and advocacy, we hope to gain insights into the existing gaps in patient care and collaborate on solutions to improve patient outcomes.”
Healthcare professionals should visit www.GetOutTheClot.com to learn more about the campaign and help raise awareness of VTE symptoms and treatment options. Read this press release about the Get out the Clot campaign.
