December 2010 Newsletter
The 11th National Conference’s Early Bird Registration deadline is January 14th. Sign Up Now! Save $$$ by registering before January 15th!
The abstract deadline is sooner than you think!
Submit your abstract online by Jan. 10th for the opportunity to be published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis and to present a poster at the 11th National Conference on Anticoagulant Therapy in Boston.
All healthcare providers are invited to submit an abstract that demonstrates best practices with measurable results, evidence based policies, and the latest findings in research. Works-in-progress may be submitted. If final results are not yet available, preliminary results must be outlined. We are also interested in lessons learned from programs and projects that worked as well as those that did not work out quite as anticipated.
Abstracts must be submitted online at www.acforum.org. Abstracts selected for poster presentation will be presented on Friday, May 6th from 4:00-6:00 at the conference. Please visit the website for complete details.
Have you viewed AC Forum's recent webinars yet? If you missed participating in the live "Lunch and Learn Journal Club" webinars including "What does FDA approval of Dabigatran mean for you and your patients?" and "Results of THINRS patient self testing trial" please visit our website.
You can see any of the past webcasts right there on the homepage. To watch the most recent session, click on the black video box on the top right corner of the page. The links to previous webinars are provided below the screen and in the Webcast Archive section of the Resource Center.
Our webcasts feature an author or authors of a recent important anticoagulation study discussing the practical clinical application of the findings in the paper and answering questions submitted by the viewers. During a webinar, participants view the live presentation over the internet from their own computers while hearing audio of the speaker.
This is an excellent way for our members to stay up to date on the literature and to ask questions of the authors directly. Watch your email inbox for an announcement about the next Lunch and Learn Journal Club webinar and make sure to register. Of course, all AC Forum webinars are free.
Below is another clinic story in our Successful Anticoagulation Clinics series. In this series, clinics describe their model of care to help our members understand reimbursement issues, staffing models, and various ways to set up an anticoagulation clinic.
We would love to highlight the wonderful things you are doing at your clinic! If you would like to submit a short write-up describing your clinic's successes, please email it to egoldstein@acforum.org
Uptown Pharmacy Anticoagulation Clinic
Westerville, Ohio
Steven L. Topmiller, Pharm.D., R.Ph.
Uptown Pharmacy has been serving the community of Westerville, Ohio for over one hundred years, with the goal of providing its patients with personalized healthcare. In addition to meeting the medication and medical supply needs of our patients, we offer additional clinical services in the areas of anticoagulation, unique medication compounding, immunizations, cholesterol monitoring, blood pressure and pulse oximetry monitoring, and medication therapy management. We have continued to develop new services that have kept us on the cutting edge of pharmacy practice. Uptown Pharmacy was part of APhA's original Project IMPACT-hyperlipidemia management study and was the first pharmacy in the state of Ohio where pharmacists provided immunizations. Keeping with our dedication to providing personalized healthcare to our patients, we began offering anticoagulation management services approximately 10 years ago.
We currently perform an average of 30 PT/INR measurements each month, servicing approximately 25 patients. Patients may self refer themselves or are referred by their physicians to the clinic. Their conditions may include atrial fibrillation, heart valve replacement, DVT, PE, etc. The service is run under a collaborative agreement between the pharmacy, the patient, and the patient's physician. Services offered at each visit may include items such as: a medication review, evaluation for adverse events, PT/INR measurement using a finger stick blood sample, warfarin dosage adjustment based on an established protocol, and instructions for proper follow-up. A facsimile copy of the visit report is subsequently forwarded to the referring physician for review and patient chart documentation.
Patients choose the anticoagulation services offered at Uptown Pharmacy due to its convenient location within the Westerville community, the flexibility to schedule appointments at a convenient time, no parking fees, and minimal wait times. INR results and warfarin dosing adjustments are completed within the typical 15 minute appointment at the pharmacy versus the typical 24 to 72 hour turnaround time for most medical office based anticoagulation monitoring services.
Because no physician is on site at Uptown Pharmacy, we cannot use the incident-to billing technique. As a result, patients self-pay for all services provided and separately seek possible reimbursement from their medical insurance provider. We hope one day that the billing rules will change and anticoagulation services provided by a pharmacist will be recognized, allowing direct billing for the services to public and private insurance plans. This change would greatly expand the number of patients seen at Uptown Pharmacy.
Clot Connect, online at www.clotconnect.org, is a new thrombosis education initiative led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Blood Clot Outreach Program. AC Forum board member Dr. Stephan Moll, hematology, leads the program. The Clot Connect project engages community partners to develop and deliver education programs for both patients and health care professionals relating to thrombosis, thrombophilia, and anticoagulation.
For patients, Clot Connect offers:
- A medical educational blog which presents the latest medical research, treatment options and answers to frequently asked patient questions
- Connection to other patients
- Access to educational materials
- A newsletter
For health care professionals, Clot Connect offers:
- Clot Connect MD, an educational blog written for medical professionals which discusses the latest research and treatment options related to the care and management of thrombosis and thrombophilia
- Access to education resources handout material for clinics to patients
- Bookmarks referencing the symptoms and risk factors of VTE to provide patients
In Spring 2011, Clot Connect will add to its offerings:
- Patient education webinars
- A clearinghouse for the distribution of thrombosis, thrombophilia and anticoagulation education materials
- Downloadable education brochures
Three things you can do right now to make sure you and/or your patients stay informed:
- For more information, visit www.ClotConnect.org. Be sure to sign up for the email list to be notified when future Clot Connect materials are available.
- You can also sign up for the health care provider education blog
- Finally, please make your patients aware of the patient education blog.
National Blood Clot Alliance began a free series of webinars in October 2010, as part its Clinical Pearls series. The first webinar was presented twice and was entitled "Building a Partnership with the Newly Anticoagulated Patient." The second topic, to be scheduled during the first quarter of 2011 is "Overcoming the Headache of Fluctuating INRs."
The Clinical Pearls series builds on content in the online curriculum, although it is not a pre-requisite. It is designed to improve communication skills for healthcare professionals to influence patient adherence. Through application of an effective and easy-to-understand "5A" framework for catalyzing patient behavior change, healthcare professionals will learn tactics to foster an alliance of trust with the patient to promote adherence. The 5A actions include assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange.
The webinar series is supported by Cooperative Agreement 5U27 DD00545-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Online Curriculum Attracts AC Forum Members
Stop the ClotŪ: What Every Healthcare Professional Should Know is online. This no cost, comprehensive curriculum on risk, prevention, and treatment of blood clots and clotting disorders is described more fully in the previous AC Forum newsletter and at www.stoptheclot.org.
It was launched in August 2010, and over 700 healthcare professionals have registered at this point. Any interested healthcare professional, particularly nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and physician assistants can register for this accredited continuing education: http://www.stoptheclot.org/curriculum_reg.htm This curriculum is supported by Cooperative Agreement U27 DD00326 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stop The ClotŪ Forums - Help us Plan
NBCA is now planning where to support Stop the Clot Ū Forums in 2011. Since NBCA staff support is also provided, we are taking requests from patients and/or physicians wishing to offer a Forum in their market. If you or your patients are interested in learning more about you can organize a Forum, please contact Judi Elkin, Director of Regional Development and Education at jelkin@stoptheclot.org.
Also, in early 2011, our Stop The ClotŪ Forum Toolkit will be available for distribution. This Toolkit will provide you all of the necessary information and templates to execute a valuable and informative Stop The ClotŪ Forum in your area.
NBCA Seeks Patient Feedback
National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) is interested in receiving patient input and feedback about whether its educational materials for patients meet patient needs. If you have patients who you think are interested in participating in a focus group either online or by telephone, please ask them to contact the National Blood Clot Alliance at info@stoptheclot.org with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Mailing Address
- Nature of blood clot experience
- Blood clotting disorder
It is essential that patients initiate the contact with NBCA, so that NBCA is compliant with HIPPA in safeguarding patient privacy. It is also important that any patient who provides contact information knows that they may not be included in NBCA's Patient Feedback Pool, since extent of feedback need will determine number of patients included in any focus group.
At this point in time, NBCA is most interested in patients who had a blood clot related to knee or hip replacement, or from cancer and/or chemotherapy. Patients with atrial fibrillation who are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) to prevent stroke will likely be needed for a Patient Feedback Pool in the near future.
Facebook: For you and Your Patients
Join the National Blood Clot Alliance on Facebook! You can be a part of many active discussions of nearly 1500 NBCA fans on Facebook. More than 35 people posted stories in the past 24 hours of how their DVT or PE was misdiagnosed as something else. Hear what patients are saying and help them learn from all of us and each other. Pass this information on to your patients and families – visit our website at www.StopTheClot.org and click on the Facebook icon on the top right!
Updated Stoplight Tool Available
National Blood Clot Alliance revised its Stoplight tool on risk for blood clots. Patients find it very helpful, and it can be accessed at: http://www.stoptheclot.org/stoplight.htm
Last spring, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provided Anticoagulation Forum members with free resources designed to help your patients stay healthy when taking anticoagulation medications. AHRQ would appreciate your feedback. Please email Becky Evans at Becky.Evans@ahrq.hhs.gov to let us know if you found the tools useful and whether you have incorporated these resources into your patient education efforts.
These resources can help clinicians educate patients who have just been prescribed anticoagulants or to reinforce healthy living choice for those who are already on an anticoagulant regimen. They also help clinics meet Joint Commission patient safety education requirements for high-alert medications, including anticoagulants.
The following free resources are available:
- 10-minute DVD: "Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners." Designed for clinicians and patients, this video explains how patients can use anticoagulant medications safety and effectively. It is available in both English and Spanish. The video is available both as a DVD and for online viewing or downloading. To view the video online, please go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/btpills.htm.
- Companion bilingual print brochure: "Blood Thinner Pills: Your Guide to Using Them Safely"/"Pastillas que diluyen la sangre: Guia para su uso seguro." To view the brochure online, please go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer.btpills.htm#booklet.
- Clinicians' kit: Each kit contains a booklet, a DVD, and 25 flyers to give to patients who may wish to order individual copies.
Bulk quantities of these tools are available at no charge, up to certain limits. To order, please contact AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or call 1-800-358-9295.
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Our Mission The Anticoagulation Forum is a multidisciplinary nonprofit organization of health care professionals that will improve the quality of care for patients taking antithrombotic medications. Join the Forum There is no charge to join the Forum. If you are not yet a registered member, please take a quick moment to join the AC Forum. Contact Elizabeth Goldstein |
Board of Directors
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