Regulatory, policy and quality update for venous thromboembolism and stroke in United States hospitals

Stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have a large impact on the United States (US) healthcare system. It is estimated that up to 1.7 million new and recurrent stroke and VTE events are occurring in the US on an annual basis with the combined cost approaching over $200 billion per year. A significant amount of stroke and VTE are preventable from appropriate antithrombotic use in at-risk patients and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the Joint Commission, the National Quality Forum and other key quality and regulatory entities have prioritized minimizing the impact of morbidity, mortality and avoidable costs related to these diseases. This review provides a brief history, overview, and update for the development of quality measures, quality systems, and regulatory and policy changes as related to stroke and VTE within the US healthcare system.