Clay Yarborough wants to bust blood clots with new registry aimed at improving outcomes

Clay Yarborough. Image via Colin Hackley.

Sen. Clay Yarborough is bringing awareness and legislative action to the health issue of blood clots.

SB 890 would create a statewide Department of Health registry for blood clot, deep vein thromboses, and pulmonary embolism reports from hospitals and medical facilities with the goal of reducing mortality and morbidity.

The goal is not to punish hospitals, but to catalogue demographic data, including age, gender and ZIP code, whether the patient lives independently or in an assisted living facility, and how the condition has been treated.

The data could only be used for advancing science or medical education, and any publication of data would have to protect the anonymity of the patient.

The department or a contractor could contact patients for “epidemiologic investigation and monitoring,” but confidentiality of the patient would have to be protected beyond that outreach.

Patients admitted to emergency room services, orthopedic services, pregnancy services, or cancer treatment would have to be screened for blood clots and related issues under this bill. Staff would need to be trained on recognizing the condition and offering treatment. And follow-up appointments for those at risk of clots would need to be conducted within 60 days of discharge from surgery.

Additionally, facilities would have to have protocols and facilities to address the needs of two high-risk groups: pregnant people and those diagnosed with cancer.

In addition to ensuring treatment protocols for clots are more standardized and better tailored to those who need medical help most urgently, Yarborough is also sponsoring a Senate resolution (SR 858) that would establish March as Blood Clot Awareness Month, with the Governor asked to issue a proclamation to that effect.