Get Out the Clot Campaign Launched to Address VTE Care

October 10, 2024—The launch of the Get Out the Clot campaign (GetOutTheClot.com) was announced in advance of World Thrombosis Day (WorldThrombosisDay.org)—which is held on October 13—by Penumbra, Inc., The International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH), National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA; www.StopTheClot.org), The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium, and the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM).

According to the press release, Get Out the Clot is a collaborative educational initiative that unites experts in venous thromboembolism (VTE) care to help identify gaps in patient care related to blood clot conditions, including standardizing care and expanding access to the latest innovations to improve patient outcomes.

The organizations involved with Get Out the Clot believe it is critical to establish a standard of care for thrombotic conditions to help patients get diagnosed promptly and receive the most appropriate care.

VTE—encompassing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE)—effects up to 900,000 Americans annually leading to approximately 100,000 deaths and up to $10 billion in associated costs. Additionally, there are often delays in care (up to 26% of patients in one study) and misdiagnosis (up to 53% of patients in one study), noted the press release.

An objective of the Get Out the Clot campaign is to ensure that physicians are aware of and have access to the newest treatments for VTE.

As noted in the press release, the current standards of care include anticoagulation and clot-dissolving drugs such as thrombolytics; however, 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.

Recognizing a need to standardize the care approach for this patient population, VTE or 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, stated the press release.

Representatives of the lead organizations of the Get Out the Clot commented on the initiative in the press release as follows:

• ISTH President Pantep Angchaisuksiri, MD: “Every October, the ISTH leads the global charge with World Thrombosis Day, shining a spotlight on the critical yet often overlooked condition of thrombosis. 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.”
• Herb Aronow, MD, Past President of SVM: “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.”
• Rachel Rosovsky, MD, Immediate Past President, The PERT Consortium: “The Get Out the Clot campaign raises awareness of the critical need for a collaborative approach to care. 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.”
• Leslie Lake, Volunteer President of the NBCA: “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. 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.”
• James F. Benenati, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Penumbra: “At Penumbra, our focus has always been to advance novel technologies to improve patient care worldwide. 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.”