eMeasure Title

Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis

eMeasure Identifier (Measure Authoring Tool) 108 eMeasure Version number 6.1.000
NQF Number 0371 GUID 38b0b5ec-0f63-466f-8fe3-2cd20ddd1622
Measurement Period January 1, 20XX through December 31, 20XX
Measure Steward The Joint Commission
Measure Developer The Joint Commission
Endorsed By National Quality Forum
Description
This measure assesses the number of patients who received VTE prophylaxis or have documentation why no VTE prophylaxis was given the day of or the day after hospital admission or surgery end date for surgeries that start the day of or the day after hospital admission
Copyright
Measure specifications are in the Public Domain

LOINC(R) is a registered trademark of the Regenstrief Institute.

This material contains SNOMED Clinical Terms (R) (SNOMED CT[C]) copyright 2004-2016 International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
These performance measures are not clinical guidelines and do not establish a standard of medical care, and have not been tested for all potential applications. The measures and specifications are provided without warranty
Measure Scoring Proportion
Measure Type Process
Measure Item Count
Encounter, Performed: Encounter Inpatient
Stratification
None
Risk Adjustment
None
Rate Aggregation
None
Rationale
Hospitalized patients at high-risk for VTE may develop an asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and die from pulmonary embolism (PE) even before the diagnosis is suspected. The majority of fatal events occur as sudden or abrupt death, underscoring the importance of prevention as the most critical action step for reducing death from PE (Geerts, et al, 2008).

The estimated annual incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), known collectively as venous thromboembolism (VTE), is approximately 900,000 (Geerts, et al, 2008). Approximately two-thirds of cases of DVT or PE are associated with recent hospitalization. This is consistent with the 2001 report by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ indicates that "the appropriate application of effective preventive measures in hospitals has major potential for improving patient safety by reducing the incidence of venous thromboembolism" (Shojania, 2001).

Despite its proven effectiveness, rates of appropriate thromboprophylaxis remain low in both medical and surgical patients. A recent analysis from the ENDORSE survey, which evaluated prophylaxis rates in 17,084 major surgery patients, found that more than one third of patients at risk for VTE (38%) did not receive prophylaxis and that rates varied by surgery type (Cohen, et al., 2008).

In a review of evidence-based patient safety practices, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defined thromboprophylaxis against VTE as the "number one patient safety practice" for hospitalized patients (Shojania, 2001). Updated "safe practices" published by the National Quality Forum (NQF) recommend routine evaluation of hospitalized patients for risk of VTE and use of appropriate prophylaxis (National Quality Forum. National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Prevention and Care of Venous Thromboembolism, 2006).

As noted by the ACCP, a vast number of randomized clinical trials provide irrefutable evidence that thromboprophylaxis reduces VTE events, and there are studies that have also shown that fatal PE is prevented by thromboprophylaxis (Geerts, et al. 2008).

Some select surgeries have previously been monitored in the Surgical Care Improvement Project; since performance on these surgeries has achieved very high levels, they are not included in this measure.
Clinical Recommendation Statement
Failure to recognize and protect patients at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases the chances for acutely ill hospitalized patients at high risk for developing a deep vein thrombosis or dying from a pulmonary emboli. Screening all patients is the only evidence based practice in reducing incidence of disease.  All hospitalized patients should be evaluated for primary VTE prophylaxis, and given appropriate prophylaxis when indicated.
Improvement Notation
Improvement noted as an increase in rate
Reference
Cohen AT, Tapson VF, Bergmann JF, et al. Venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in the acute hospital care setting (ENDORSE study): a multinational cross-sectional study. Lancet. 2008;371:387-394.
Reference
Geerts  WH, Bergqvist D, Pineo GF, Heit JA, Samama CM, Lassen MR, Colwell CW. Prevention of venous thromboembolism. The Eighth ACCP Conference on antithrombotic and thrombolytic therapy. Chest. 2008; 133:381S-453S
Reference
Guyatt, G.H., Akl, E.A., Crowther, M., Gutterman, D., Schunemann, H. Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th edition: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines. CHEST 2012; 141(2)(Supp):7S-47S
Reference
Kearon C, Akl EA, Comerota AJ, Prandoni P, Bounameaux H, Goldhaber SZ, Nelson ME, Wells PS, Gould MK, Dentali F, Crowther M, Kahn SR. Antithrombotic therapy for VTE disease: Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th Edition: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines. CHEST 2012 Feb; 141(2) (Supp):e419S-94S. 
Reference
National Quality Forum. National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Prevention and Care of Venous Thromboembolism: Policy, Preferred Practices, and Initial Performance Measures. A Consensus Report. Washington, DC. NQF; 2006
Reference
Shojania KG, Duncan BW, McDonald DM, et al. (Eds.). (2001). Making healthcare safer; A critical analysis of patient safety practices (Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 43). Prepared by the University of California at San Francisco-Stanford Evidenced-based Practice Center under Contract no. 290-97-0013 (AHRQ Publication NO.01-E058). Rockville, MD:Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Definition
None
Guidance
When low dose unfractionated heparin is not administered due to medical reasons, the intended administration route is subcutaneous
Transmission Format
TBD
Initial Population
Patients age 18 and older discharged from hospital inpatient acute care without a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) or obstetrics with a length of stay less than or equal to 120 days that ends during the measurement period
Denominator
All patients in the initial population
Denominator Exclusions
* Patients who have a length of stay less than 2 days
* Patients with comfort measures documented anytime between arrival and the day after hospital admission
* Patients with comfort measures documented by the day after surgery end date for surgeries that start the day of or the day after hospital admission
* Patients who are direct admits to intensive care unit (ICU), or transferred to ICU the day of or the day after hospital admission with ICU length of stay greater than or equal to one day
* Patients with a principal diagnosis of mental disorders or stroke
* Patients with a principal procedure of Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) VTE selected surgeries
Numerator
Patients who received VTE prophylaxis:
- the day of or the day after hospital admission
- the day of or the day after surgery end date for surgeries that end the day of or the day after hospital admission

Patients who have documentation of a reason why no VTE prophylaxis was given:
- between arrival and hospital admission
- the day of or the day after hospital admission
- the day of or the day after surgery end date (for surgeries that end the day of or the day after hospital admission)
Numerator Exclusions
Not Applicable
Denominator Exceptions
None
Supplemental Data Elements
For every patient evaluated by this measure also identify payer, race, ethnicity and sex

Table of Contents


Population Criteria

Data Criteria (QDM Variables)

Data Criteria (QDM Data Elements)

Supplemental Data Elements

Risk Adjustment Variables


Measure Set
eMeasure Venous Thromboembolism (eVTE)