Preventing venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients: Using implementation science to close the evidence-practice gap

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the umbrella term covering deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and a group of associated chronic conditions. This vascular disease process is a common, yet serious adverse complication of hospitalisation that results in significant mortality, morbidity, and healthcare resource expenditure. VTE in hospitalised patients is preventable and there is a robust evidence base supporting the use of prophylactic therapies for at-risk patients. Unfortunately, despite the evidence, research and clinical audit reveal that these therapies are frequently underutilised or inconsistently applied. The substantial VTE prevention evidence-practice gap has been identified internationally as a priority patient safety issue. Implementation science is a relatively new field of research focused on closing evidence-practice gaps by translating research findings into routine clinical practice. This PhD thesis contains five publications from a linked series of four implementation science studies aimed at improving the uptake of research evidence on VTE prevention in hospitalised patients. The studies were conducted at St Vincent?s Private Hospital, a 270 bed acute care facility in Sydney, Australia.