Intervention to Improve Utilization of Extended Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Cancer Surgery

Plain-language summary

While blood clots after major cancer surgery are common and harmful to patients, the medications to decrease blood clot risk are seldom used after patients leave the hospital despite the recommendation of multiple professional medical societies. The reason why these medications are seldom prescribed is not well understood. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does surgeon education paired with an electronic medical record based decision support tool improve the guideline concordant prescription of pharmacologic venous thromboembolism after abdominopelvic cancer surgery? * Does dedicated patient education regarding blood clots at the time of hospital discharge after abdominopelvic cancer surgery improve understanding of the risk of venous thromboembolism and adherence to pharmacologic prophylaxis? The investigators will study these questions using a stepped-wedge randomized trial where groups of surgeons will use a tool integrated to the electronic medical record to educate them on the individualized patient risks of blood clots after major cancer surgery and inform them regarding guidelines for preventative medicines. Utilization of the medications before and after using the tool will be compared. Patients will be administered a questionnaire assessing their awareness of blood clots as a risk after cancer surgery. For those prescribed medications to reduce blood clot risk after leaving the hospital, the questionnaire will evaluate whether they took the medications as prescribed. Survey results will be evaluated before and after implementation of education on blood clot risk at the time of hospital discharge.

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