On the Horizon of PE Care

The National Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium™ is again honored to host this supplement to Endovascular Today, entitled “On the Horizon of PE Care.” The National PERT Consortium™ is a 501c3 organization founded in 2016 and based in Massachusetts. We are the only multinational organization dedicated to the multidisciplinary, team-based approach in treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). The Consortium is comprised of pulmonologists, emergency medicine physicians, cardiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, radiologists, hospitalists, hematologists, physicians in training, and patient advocates. We encourage the participation and input of individuals in allied health fields and welcome collaborative efforts benefitting PE patients.

In this edition of Endovascular Today, readers will learn about the many and noteworthy National PERT Consortium™ initiatives, including the PE Centers of Excellence™, the numerous trials investigating advanced therapies in patients with acute PE, an update on PERC™ (the Pulmonary Embolism Research Collaborative), and the valuable collaboration with the FDA, artificial intelligence (AI) and acute PE, and the launching of our “PE Looks Like Me” campaign.

Starting off this supplement, Steven Pugliese, MD; Mahir Elder, MD; and Jamie L. Reed highlight the mission of PE Centers of Excellence™, which is to establish a universal standard of care for the treatment of acute PE, facilitate collaboration that improves outcomes and patient safety, promote and disseminate recent advances in technology, and—through registration of institutions in a high-quality database—ensure that our practices and treatments are outcome driven.

Then, Robert A. Lookstein, MD, and Terry R. Bowers, MD, feature how the work produced from the initial PERC™ meeting will be used to transform the existing PERT Consortium™ database into a more comprehensive project to reflect the input from all the global thought leaders and how future endeavors aim to create broad consensus and uniformity in data collection related to acute PE. This piece also discusses how evidence-based practice will improve access to care and outcomes for all patients that we serve with this devastating disease.

Next, insights into and updates to the APEX-AV, PE-TRACT, HI-PEITHO, and STORM-PE clinical trials are featured from the trials’ Principal Investigators Mona Ranade, MD; Akhilesh Sista, MD; Stavros V. Konstantinides, MD; Kenneth Rosenfield, MD; and Rachel P. Rosovsky, MD. These studies, in collaboration with The National PERT Consortium™ will help create level 1 guideline recommendations, advance the understanding of the role and set standards for the evaluation of catheter-directed reperfusion options in the management of acute PE, and spur innovation to improve PE care throughout the world.

Brent Keeling, MD; Amy Ranier, MPM; and Scott Kaatz, DO, provide a review of the “PE Looks Like Me” campaign, which seeks to bridge the gap between care providers and patients to raise awareness of the diagnosis of PE in all patients and discuss prevention of PE on a broader level. With our patients as partners in this endeavor, “PE Looks Like Me” will broaden the scope of knowledge of PE and save lives through increased prevention and awareness.

To close out the supplement, Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, and Patrick E. Muck, MD, emphasize how AI will play a crucial role in the future of PE care. With further advancements, we anticipate AI will become an integral part of diagnostic and treatment strategies, revolutionizing how we manage PE and improving patient care on a broader scale.

In addition to our notable initiatives, The PERT Consortium™ will host the 9th Annual Scientific Symposium, “What is Known and What We Need to Know: A State-of-the-Art Scientific Update” in Austin, Texas, on September 20-23, 2023. We are looking forward to bringing together world thought leaders in the diagnosis, treatment, and research in PE. We anticipate a successful meeting, discussing new developments in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of PE. We remain honored to partner with Endovascular Today and host this annual supplement. We hope that the articles contained within reflect our passion and dedication to the treatment of PE.