The Civic began treating patients with deep vein thrombosis (or blood clots) as outpatients in 1994 — one of first hospitals in world to do so. By 1997, thanks to research by Dr. Philip Wells, a senior scientist and former Chief of the Department of Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital, they discovered a better way to diagnose patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
His new technique, which became known as the Wells’ Models or Wells’ Scores, has been adopted not only here in Canada, but also in most countries around the world including the United States, UK, and Germany, but also in developing countries. Most medical students worldwide continue to be taught these rules. The research led to a simplification of the diagnostic process and helped doctors determine when a subsequent investigation was necessary.
Dr. Wells and his colleagues at The Ottawa Hospital would go on to use their expertise to perform research in all areas of venous thromboembolism such that much of the way physicians practice medicine in this area is a consequence of their research. Most recently, the group was a key partner in research on why patients with COVID were at higher risk of developing blood clots and how to prevent them. The Thrombosis unit at TOH provides the world’s most comprehensive and complete patient care for venous thromboembolism, with the clinic open 363 days per year servicing the entire Champlain region.
