VQI and AVF: Aligned Missions and Registry Structure
Mark Passman described strong alignment between American Venous Forum and Vascular Quality Initiative missions, with venous modules covering IVC filters, varicose veins, and venous stenting now spanning 750 sites, and appropriate use criteria guiding future benchmarking beyond quality into appropriateness.
Varicose Vein Registry: Streamlined Data Collection
Nick Osborne described simplifying the varicose vein registry, now nearing 44000 procedures, by collecting data only on the treated limb, cutting entry burden about 40 percent, and adding ultrasound dates to better track thrombosis rates.
IVC Filter and Venous Stent Registry Updates
Tony Gasparis reported the IVC filter registry now spans 60 centers and over 15000 procedures, with placements down 30 percent and retrieval tracking improved to 56 percent, while Bill Marston described the new venous stent registry, launched in October 2020 with only three centers enrolled.
Research Priorities Amid Reimbursement Scrutiny
Nick Osborne outlined the Research Advisory Council’s streamlined proposal process and publication gaps across registries, urging wider participation as payers and CMS increasingly scrutinize venous procedure coverage and reimbursement.
