Securing administrative leadership commitment for anticoagulation stewardship programs

Abstract

Anticoagulation is a leading cause of medication-related harm. As a result, there is increasing recognition of the importance of the development of anticoagulation stewardship programs to ensure safe and effective anticoagulation use across health care settings. Securing administrative leadership support to build such programs is a necessary first step but is often a significant barrier to implementation. Herein, we present a structured approach to guide providers advocating to leadership for stewardship programs at their institutions. We divide the approach into four phases: (1) Build the foundation, (2) Select stewardship initiatives, (3) Develop implementation plans, and (4) Prepare and present a business plan. Within each phase, we outline specific actions to consider, all leading up to the end goal of creating a compelling business plan to generate administrative leadership buy-in. We also provide resources to promote the understanding of institutional needs as well as broader trends across health systems that influence stewardship program development. Our aim is to provide stewardship advocates with the tools to effectively secure leadership support to facilitate the development of Anticoagulation Stewardship Programs across all health care institutions.