Pulmonary Embolism Research Collaborative

The National PERT Consortiumis pleased to announce the inaugural meeting of the Pulmonary Embolism Research Collaborative (PERC), a new initiative that will gather experts and stakeholders involved with management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism, with a goal to define and develop consensus about the components of clinical care and outcomes. PERC will standardize data collection in patients undergoing evaluation and treatment, and thus establish the foundation for an expanding evidence base that will inform future care for acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third-leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in the US, nearly as prevalent as myocardial infarction and stroke, and is the leading cardiovascular cause of in-hospital death. In recognition of these daunting statistics and the severity and impact of the disease, the medical community has recently intensified efforts to increase detection of PE and improve treatment options available. Device and pharmaceutical companies are also responding to this need, developing innovative methodologies to treat PE. To address the large evidence gap regarding risk stratification, acute management, and outcomes of acute PE, multiple organizations and medical companies have undertaken initiatives to collect data and inform the field. The National PERT Consortium has been at the center of this “movement,” promoting the concept of high quality multi-disciplinary team-based care, educating the medical community, patients and other stakeholders regarding the state of the art in PE care, and establishing a robust quality assurance data registry that has quickly expanded to include over 30 participating institutions in the US and contains over 6,800 patients. The PERT concept has rapidly been adopted by practitioners and institutions throughout the US and even globally, a reflection of the pressing need to enhance recognition, optimize management and improve outcomes for patients with acute PE.

ROLE OF PERC

Advancing PE care and improving outcomes will require better understanding of the multiple components associated with the management of acute PE. Included among these are the clinical presentation and risk stratification; decisions regarding escalation of care; mechanisms of action and impact of specific therapeutic interventions; imaging and physiologic parameters; and appropriate measures of clinical outcomes.

In order to properly compare outcomes for various management approaches, it is necessary to define and standardize the information that is collected and analyzed. PERC will bring together key stakeholders and provide a forum to establish pragmatic consensus elements, with common standards and definitions, that will form the foundation for the evaluation, treatment, and assessment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism in clinical care, quality assurance, and research endeavors.

INAUGURAL PERC MEETING

The inaugural meeting of PERC, sponsored and coordinated by the National PERT Consortium™, in collaboration with the US FDA, will take place in Washington DC, on April 22, 2022. This is an exciting time for advancement in the care of PE. Recognition of the prevalence and devastating impact of acute PE has never been greater, and there are many promising new approaches to evaluation, management, and therapeutic intervention.

The National PERT Consortium is proud to be sponsoring PERC, which will set the foundation to advance PE care and improve patient survival and outcomes.