Challenges in implementing government-directed VTE guidance for medical patients: a mixed methods study (6 November 2012)

Summary

This mixed methods study in the BMJ Open aimed to investigate possible barriers and facilitators for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment in medical patients and evaluate the impact of local and national initiatives. The authors identified the following barriers to risk assessment:

• involvement of multiple staff in individual admissions
• interruptions
• lack of policy awareness
• time pressure
• complexity of tools

They concluded that national financial sanctions appear effective in implementing guidance, where other local measures have failed.