Mission Possible!

Introduction

The National Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium™ is honored to host this supplement of Endovascular Today for the fourth year in a row, entitled Mission Impossible! Updates From The PERT Consortium™. The National PERT Consortium™ is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2015. Our organization is dedicated to the multidisciplinary, team-based treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). We are a multinational organization and strive to improve the care and outcomes for patients with PE and related disorders. The Consortium comprises pulmonologists, emergency physicians, cardiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, radiologists, hospitalists, hematologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, physicians in training, and patient advocates. We encourage the participation and input of individuals in allied health fields and welcome collaborative efforts with other organizations.

Over the past year, The Consortium has expanded its membership by recruiting additional member institutions in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia. These additions resulted in an explosion of new ideas and proposals for future clinical trials and educational activities. The growing impact of The Consortium is reflected by the international participation that we enjoy during our annual and intercurrent meetings, as well as by the introduction of new programs and projects. The PERT Consortium™ PE Registry remains the largest PE-centered quality assurance database in the world, with > 7,500 patients. The value of The PERT Consortium™ PE Registry is exemplified by the recent Pulmonary Embolism Research Collaborative (PERC™) initiative, which kicked off live in Washington, DC, on April 22, 2022. PERC™ brought together key stakeholders in the treatment of PE, including physician experts, industry thought leaders, and the United States FDA. PERC™ was designed to analyze and refine the data elements in The PERT Consortium™ PE Registry, with the purpose of establishing standards for care and research for PE.

The Consortium continues to partner with corporate sponsors to advance PE research. In collaboration with trial sponsor Boston Scientific Corporation and the University Medical Center Mainz in Germany, The Consortium is proud to comanage the higher-risk PE study, HI-PEITHO: a randomized trial of ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed thrombolysis versus anticoagulation for acute intermediate-high–risk PE. We are also pleased to have partnered with AngioDynamics to help launch and execute the APEX-AV study, an investigational device exemption study using the company’s AlphaVac F18⁸⁵ PE system for the treatment of acute PE.

Our educational efforts continue to have positive impacts on both clinicians and the general public. Our webinars have welcomed > 1,000 participants from around the world and focus on addressing specific clinical issues. Sessions allow for audience participation and are hosted by internationally known experts in PE, venous thromboembolism, and anticoagulation. PERTCasts™ are short and sweet podcasts that bring together global thought leaders to discuss specific issues regarding PE. PERTinent™ Updates are released monthly and inform our members about the latest scientific articles related to PE and related disorders. In 2019, via a generous grant from Boston Scientific Corporation, we began the Interhospital Transfer (IHT) Project. The IHT Project aims to develop a step-by-step guide to the stabilization and transfer of critically ill PE patients, while additionally identifying existing barriers in the IHT process and increasing awareness and education for PE care. We are delighted to share that The Consortium’s webinars, PERTCasts™, and PERTinent™ Updates are available for free on our website.

The PERT Consortium™ has made diversity a priority. In a new collaboration with the Women as One CLIMB PE program, we intend to enhance critical skills and relationships between female clinicians and industry partners and diversify scientific decision-making to activate innovative ideas to improve PE care.

Finally, The PERT Consortium™ will host our 8th Annual Scientific Symposium, “What Is Known, and What We Need to Know: A State-of-the-Art and Scientific Update” in Tampa, Florida, from September 29 to October 1, 2022. We expect to sell out, with > 600 participants, and will discuss new developments in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of PE. The Consortium remains honored to collaborate with Endovascular Today, and we hope the articles included within reflect our passion for and commitment to the treatment of PE.