Background: VTE is a known complication of hospital stay. In 2017, an audit was performed, looking at the quality of the information provided to patients at discharge. Guidelines state that all patients should receive information, normally in the form a leaflet. This audit showed that 22% of the discharged patients recalled the information given regarding VTE. It went on to state only 21% of patients were being given the information on discharge.

Aims: To determine whether information deliverance has improved and examining the factors that influence recall of that information. Specifically, seeing if there has been an improvement since the 2017 audit.

Methods: Two-step evaluation of information deliverance and recall;
1) An observational study looking at inpatients that were discharged and the documentation of the information given
2) A telephone survey of patients that were discharged (within a month) looking at their recall of the information provided

Results:
1) In the Observational Study- 100% of patients were given the information verbally and via a leaflet
2) In the Telephone Survey- Only 46% of patients recalled the VTE information

Conclusions: The study has shown that since 2017, there has been a significant change in practice. Almost all patients receive VTE information on discharge. However, worryingly this has not changed the percentage of patients who retain and understand this information. This audit has shown that while telling patients about VTE is easily achievable, helping them to understand a foreign concept is far more difficult. The solution resides in not only simplifying the information in lay terms but also making it relatable to the general population. Currently, it is clear that solely delivering the information is inadequate; changes must also be made to its quality.

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/an-audit-examining-information-provided-to-patients-regarding-venous-thromboembolism-vte-at-discharge/