Abstract
Background: Many European health institutions have appointed
multidisciplinary teams for the general management of vascular access to
help improve efficiency, patient safety and reduce costs. Vascular
access teams (VATs), or infusion teams, are specifically trained groups
of healthcare professionals who assess, place, manage and monitor
various outcomes and aspects of vascular access care. Objective: To
assess the current landscape of vascular access management as a
discipline across Europe. Methods: A Faculty of European VAT leads and
experts developed a survey of 20 questions which was disseminated across
several European countries. Questions focused on respondent and
institution profile, vascular access device selection and placement,
monitoring and reporting of complications, and access to training and
education. The 1449 respondents included physicians, nurses,
anaesthetists, radiologists and surgeons from public and private
institutions ranging in size. Results: Availability of dedicated VATs
vary by country, institution size, and institution type. Institutions
with a VAT are more likely to utilise a tool (e.g., algorithm or
guideline) to determine the appropriate vascular access device (55% vs
38%, p < 0.0002) and to have feedback on systematic
monitoring of complications (40% vs 28%, p = 0.015). Respondents from
institutions with a VAT are more likely to have received training on
vascular access management (79% vs 53%, p < 0.0001) and
indicated that the VAT was a source of support when difficulties arise.
Conclusion: The survey results highlight some of the potential benefits
of implementing a dedicated VAT including use of a broader range of
vascular access devices, increased awareness of the presence of vascular
access policies, increased likelihood of recent vascular access
training, and increased rates of systematic monitoring of associated
complications. The study reveals potential areas for further focus in
the field of vascular access care, specifically examining the direct
impact of vascular access teams.