National Screening Program Information

National Venous Screening Program Timeline – 5 Year Plan:

Year 1 (2006):

• The pilot program for the National Venous Screening Program involved 17 sites and 476 participants. 
• Venous screening tool kit and patient information pamphlets were created. Infrastructure for the program was established.

Year 2 (2007): 

• National Venous Screening Program expanded to 139 centers with screening of nearly 4,000 people in over 40 states.  
• Venous screening instrument was refined and tested in a larger sample population.

Year 3 (2008): 

• The National Venous Screening Program is poised for wide national expansion with an extended targeted screening timeframe from November 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, culminating in Deep Venous Thrombosis Awareness month, March, 2008. The extended time period will allow more flexibility for participating sites to perform screening, with the goal of 50 state representation and increased participation by the public this year. 
• The screening process this year will also include follow-up questionnaires for participants and their health care providers. This will allow collection of data regarding impact of the screening program at these levels.
• Additional efforts are also underway directed at increasing physician awareness and education on venous diseases at the primary care level through partnerships with medical organizations and conferences.   Through an independent educational grant from one of our industry sponsors, the AVF, National Venous Screening Program held a screening event at a Pri-Med meeting this past year. Pri-Med is the nation's leading provider of CME, educating more than 250,000 physicians over the past 12 years through several conferences and online activities annually. This pilot educational effort included an AVF sponsored screening booth on the exhibitor floor with screening of several hundred primary care and health care providers and exit interviews with AVF member physicians. For 2008, AVF is planning for seven more Primed meetings, which will also include sponsored venous educational symposia given by AVF members in conjunction with each Pri-Med meeting. 
• Venous educational lectures both for the general public and health care providers are being developed that will be incorporated into the program infrastructure for screening sites to provide directed symposia at the local level. 
• AVF National Venous Screening Program sponsored print and digital educational material for public and provider wide distribution are being developed.
• Included in this year’s National American Venous Forum sponsored effort is a partnership with the Illinois State Medical Board for a year long state wide venous screening effort. 

Year 4 (2009): 

• Continued expansion of screening sites and participants, expansion of the educational opportunities for general public and health care providers, and establishment of venous based conferences at the regional and local levels by participating sites is expected. 
• Based on the Illinois state screening model, future partnerships with other state medical societies are planned. 
• A venous branding campaign for venous specialists will be established under the National Venous Screening Program. 
• Venous screening educational and awareness format will be extended into residency and medical school levels through planned outreach programs.

Year 5 (2010) and Beyond:  

• An annual National Venous Screening Program event occurring in 50 states every March will be well established. 
• Educational infrastructure including print and digital educational material, regional and local venous based conferences, partnerships with medical organizations and programs at medical school and residency level will be well developed and in place. 
• Research data from screening participation matured.
• International screening program expansion.
• Mass media public awareness campaign (television, print, radio, public service announcements, etc…)
• Long-term financial support secure

Anticipated Funding Needs – How Corporate Partnership Can Help

In order to begin the task of making venous thromboembolism and chronic venous insufficiency  well-understood and preventable diseases within the eye of the American public, funding is needed at every level to provide the lattice for implementation and measurement of screening effectiveness. The financial goal is that the National Venous Screening Program is financially independent and self sufficient. Through a strong inherent public interest in attending free screenings, physician education, and innovative public relation campaigns, the AVF, National Venous Screening Program is poised to provide the vehicle for this important process. 

With various levels of corporate sponsorship, the opportunity is available to directly partner with the AVF, National Venous Screening Program. Depending on the level of support, there is the opportunity for corporate recognition, direct participation in screening events, participation in educational activities, and access to health care providers. Additional opportunities are also available for corporate partners to provide selected grants above core sponsorship for directed activities within the National Venous Screening Program if it falls within the mission of the program.   As screening demographic and participation data is collected over time, future plans will include availability of core data for additional sponsorship from core corporate partners which can assist in product marketing plans. 

With identification of the AVF as the leader in venous disease awareness and education through the National Venous Screening Program, corporate partners have the prospect of aligning with the greater mission of increasing public awareness of acute and chronic venous diseases through education, identification, and empowerment.