Our Vision
Leaders in the phlebology community are committed to seeing the specialty achieve universal recognition by medical professionals and patients.
Our leadership is committed to promoting patient health education initiatives through developing consensus driven positions in venous disease treatment.
The ACP believes it cannot do this alone, and with the ACPF, is supporting several joint initiatives in venous care.
The ACP is forging collaborative relationships with the:
- Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) to support public awareness of deep veinthrombosis (DVT);
- American Venous Forum (AVF) and the Society for Interventional Radiology(SIR) to develop new methodology and approach recommendations on phlebologic treatment for insurance providers;
- Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) to promote patient awareness of ultrasound procedures.
Beyond such collaborations, it remains necessary for the Foundation to continue to invest in basic clinical research and professional outreach to other medical practitioners and patient populations.
All of these undertakings create significant opportunities to gain recognition and acceptance for phlebology as well as an opportunity to pursue growth initiatives.
Professional Research on the Specialty
The College could expand phlebology’s influence in medicine by framing critical issues affecting its practice. Vital information that would help formulate those issues is unavailable simply because no mechanism exists to collect it from our membership. The ACP supports and endorses the medical registry of the American Venous Forum (AVF) as a valuable repository of clinical information on venous disease, but sees a need to augment such data collection efforts.
Our leaders are convinced a collaborative approach to quantify, interpret and analyze practical information on comprehensive vein care is possible within the venous community. The efforts of the Intersocietal Venous Insurance Government Relations Committee (IVIGRC) reinforce this opinion. The IVIGRC is a joint effort that includes representatives from the ACP, AVF, and SIR tasked with addressing insurance reimbursement issues affecting patient service.
The ACP will seek collaborative partnerships to define and identify solutions to other community challenges like:
- Defining the undiagnosed venous disease patient population in North America
- Establishing demographic baseline information on patients affected by venous disease using ethnicity, age, gender and other related factors
- Studying the practical impact of non-physicians on the continuum of care in phlebology
- Understanding the prevalence of Chronic Venous Disease and its treatment
- Defining the practice of phlebology in North America from a macroeconomic standpoint
- Looking at the prevalence of various treatments within a specific demographic
- Quantifying the impact of the ABPh certification on patient experience
- Projecting the practical needs of phlebologists of tomorrow
These practical research interests are currently being prioritized. Several of them are anticipated as deliverables in the next eight (8) to fifteen (15) months. All of these topics are considered updatable and are anticipated to yield important benefits to practicing phlebologists.
Educational Alternatives for the Medical Practitioner
The ACP completed a survey with 558 participants in January of 2011 to gauge how our members wanted to move forward and which types of programs should be given priority after our recent achievements. A significant majority of the respondents confirmed hands-on workshops and advanced symposia remain vital to most practitioners in phlebology (71%) as a source of continuing medical education (CME). Nothing compares educationally to the opportunity to see, feel, touch and work with patients who suffer from venous disease. Existing and new education programs will continue to seek funding as needed from the Foundation.
However, educational alternatives that provide CME but at the same time are effectively designed to minimize out-of-practice time for practitioners were also shown by participants to be the next best alternative to attending hands-on symposia.
Working in collaboration with the ABPh and others, the College believes it can support the maintenance of various certifications in phlebology for its members through the use of distance learning vehicles.
Digital products will be unveiled starting in November 2011.
Enhancement of Public and Professional Awareness
Defining excellence in the field of comprehensive vein care is dependent on the establishment of accepted professional standards that are communicated to an identified, informed patient community.
Working through selected public organizations and in connection with its targeted growth initiatives, the College will expand the scope and dissemination of information to gain acceptance of defined standards of patient care for medical practitioners and venous disease patients. The College will utilize web-based information, printed materials and spotlight ACP media achievements with such programming as the recent Arizona Public Broadcasting System (PBS) special.
The Foundation, building on the success of the “Ask a Vein Care Expert,” has recently funded a more comprehensive documentary. Dealing with the science of phlebology and the evolution of treatment, this program will run on PBS stations across the country.
A national media campaign using paid advertising is too expensive to conduct in our foreseeable future. However, the College is working to develop materials for and coordinate a national Venous Disease awareness week using public and affordable media channels. This will begin in 2012.
The College will provide additional support to practitioners by producing information kits, promotional materials and other supplies or publications through its Speakers Bureau. The College will also coordinate opportunities for ACP members to volunteer and participate in this grassroots effort.
