Dialysis patients and medical staff may benefit from a new integrated module that complements vascular access surveillance technology developed by Vasc-Alert LLC, based in the Purdue Research Park.

Vasc-Alert Referral enables the creation of a referral form and tracks intervention results to help dialysis center staff see the complete life cycle of a vascular access site used for hemodialysis treatments.

The existing Vasc-Alert system is a software-based, data-driven medical device that helps dialysis providers perform surveillance on a patient's vascular access site. It alerts personnel when a vascular access site, where a needle connects a patient and the dialysis machine, may be developing a stenosis, or a narrowing of a blood vessel that may eventually clot. The medical staff can investigate further to determine if a patient should undergo an intervention such as an angioplasty to treat the stenosis.

Vasc-Alert Referral facilitates the decision-making process and reduces the time needed to prepare documents for the referral of an intervention. By utilizing information already captured in the Vasc-Alert system, it automatically creates a referral packet of critical clinical information that needs to be communicated to the intervention center. In addition to pre-populating many data fields required on the medical referral form, it develops a record of the referral related to the life of the vascular access.

Doug Curry, vice president of Vasc-Alert, described the benefits of Vasc-Alert Referral.

"It will save time for the staff, who normally have to locate and then fill in the information by hand. The referral packet includes the standard Vasc-Alert Patient Detail report that shows why the patient may be at risk for a clot," he said. "It's additional information that medical professionals can use when they receive the referral form."

The referral record created by the module can be updated with the outcome of the intervention.

"Currently, Vasc-Alert indicates via its weekly reports to medical staff that a stenosis may be developing. Part of the process that was missing related to vascular access care was the referral and the outcome of any interventional procedure," Curry said. "By completing the loop of alerts, referral paperwork and tying back information on the outcome of the referral, future decisions on referring the patient can improve."

Mary Swails-Climer, R.N., nurse clinician at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, Mich., said referrals for interventions usually are pulled from multiple sources and take staff a lot of time to compile.

"Vasc-Alert Referral has all the information for a referral in one place and puts it into one document, which is much easier than faxing five pieces of paper," she said. "I also like that the latest patient detail report is included automatically. It's one less step to take when we make referrals, saving time and resources for a dialysis center."