An Assessment of Evidence to Inform Best Practice for the Communication of Acute Venous Thromboembolism Diagnosis: a Scoping Review

Background: Physician communication with patients is a key aspect of excellent care. Scant evidence exists to inform best practice for physician communication in patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, collectively referred to as venous thromboembolism (VTE). The aim of this study was to summarize the existing literature on best practices for communication between healthcare providers and patients newly diagnosed with VTE. Methods: We performed a scoping review of the extant literature on best practice for physician patient communication and the diagnosis and management of VTE. Manuscripts on communication between healthcare professionals and patients with acute vascular diseases, including VTE, were eligible. Two authors independently reviewed titles, and consensus determined article inclusion. The manuscripts were further categorized into two main categories: best practice in communication and unmet needs in communication. Data aggregation was achieved by a modified thematic synthesis. Results: Among 345 initial publications, 22 manuscripts met inclusion criteria with 11 that addressed VTE, five pulmonary embolism, four deep vein thrombosis, one atrial fibrillation, and one acute coronary syndrome. Eleven manuscripts addressed communication of VTE diagnosis, while 12 focused on communication of VTE treatment. Eleven manuscripts identified unmet communication needs, and 14 addressed best practice. Our review shows that good communication surrounding the VTE diagnosis and treatment can enhance satisfaction while suboptimal communication can incur emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and health- systems adverse effects. Conclusion: Scant literature guides best practices for communicating VTE diagnosis and treatment. Further research is necessary to establish practices for improving communication with VTE patients. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This work was funded by corporate sponsorship from Bristol Myers Squibb and its Alliance partner, Pfizer, Inc., to the Vasculearn Network, formerly the North American Thrombosis Forum. The funder of this work had no role in the design, preparation, or writing of this report. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript.