China Task Force

2021 Annual Report

The PVRI China Task Force continues its active participation in organising national and international conferences and educational courses on pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs) aiming to extend the understanding of venous thromboembolic diseases (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary hypertension (PH).

It also supports the exchange of clinical experiences and encourages international collaboration, generating several joint publications and promoting clinical and translational PVD research in China.

Main activities include:

Implementing national strategies on the PE-DVT and CTEPH programme

1 National Programme for the Prevention and Management of Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Venous Thrombosis in China (China VTE Prevention Programme) The National Health Commission of China has included PE-DVT prevention and treatment policies into hospital assessment indicators. This programme aims to help hospitals nationwide to establish a system for VTE prevention and management by formulating strategies on thromboprophylaxis, and standardising the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of VTE. We hosted a series of activities and scientific conferences, to coordinate the combat against VTE at the national level, such as:

Formation of a national multidisciplinary steering committee;

1. Standardisation of the VTE prevention and management system;
2. Promotion of guidelines and manual for VTE prevention and treatment;
3. Recommendation of procedures for risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of VTE;
4. Application of information technology and quality control system; 6) Education on VTE prevention and management.

246 experts from different fields conducted on-site evaluations of 102 hospitals to establish local systems for VTE prevention and The PVRI China Task Force continues its active participation in organising national and international conferences and educational courses on pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs) aiming to extend the understanding of venous thromboembolic diseases (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Report by Jun Wan, Cheng Hong, Peiran Yang & Zhenguo Zhai management. The criteria included organising and management, medical care and technique, education and scientific research. The hospitals that met all the criteria, were certified as VTE centres. A new series of documents were released in October 2021 which included the evaluation standards of secondary and tertiary hospitals, management methods and work manuals. During this year, more than 1,060 hospitals enrolled in the VTE prevention programme, and 224 hospitals passed the national evaluation and were certified. 1,800 professionals from 470 hospitals visited the VTE centres to improve understanding and the implementation of in-hospital VTE prevention. We organised more than 1,050 academic activities; attended by more than 300,000 participants, including more than 10 academic conferences with 56,000 participants; 780 offline training sessions with 65,000 participants; 295 online training sessions with 38,000 participants; 48 online public courses on thrombosis prevention and treatment with 139,000 participants. 

As part of the National VTE Prevention Programme, the regional alliance constructs and develops the regional VTE prevention systems. The regional alliance has been established in 19 provinces including Beijing, Sichuan, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Fujian, Henan, Guizhou, Hebei, Yunnan, Gansu, Tianjin, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi and Jilin province.

The 2021 conference on VTE Prevention in China was held on 13-15 October 2021. The conference was divided into 17 topics and sections with 57 academic reports, covering respiratory, vascular surgery, cardiovascular, blood, tumour, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, medical administration management, nursing and other disciplines. Representatives hailed from 30 provinces, regions and cities in China, working in different fields, including government, hospitals, enterprises, the public and others. The cumulative number of offline participants exceeded 1,530 and the total number of online viewers approached 300,000. To increase awareness of thrombosis, activities were conducted on 13-15 October 2021, which coincided with World Thrombosis Day (13 October). These included education for patients and the public, MDT consultation for PE-DVT patients, social media activities promoting World Thrombosis Day, and an educational programme for physicians.

2 National CTEPH and PAH programme 20-23 October 2021, CTEPH Master Class 2021.

A hybrid multi-centre educational platform for the diagnosis and management of PVDs took place. More than 200 experts and scholars in related fields attended the conference based at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and 42,000 participants joined online.

Educational courses on pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs)

3 PH Guidelines education and distribution programme:

Chinese guidelines were published for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in January 2021. Since December 2020, we commenced a monthly lecture tour in different areas of China including Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, Hunan, Shanxi, Chongqing, Liaoning, Henan, Shandong, Hebei and Anhui. More than 100 experts and 100,000 participants attended the Guideline Lecture Tour online.

4 World Pulmonary Hypertension Day activities:

On 5 May 2021, World PH Day and on a national scale, physicians from different cities conducted an online meeting to raise awareness of PH by staging various events involving both the scientific community and the general public. A series of educational and social activities on pulmonary hypertension were held in different cities all over China. More than 300 multi-disciplinary physicians and 15,000 medical staff participated in the activities online. The issues of health education, social support, medical insurance and standardised treatment for Chinese PH patients were discussed. Pulmonary Hypertension Academy, a multi-centre and multi-disciplinary educational platform for the diagnosis and management of PVDs was arranged into a one-week programme in Beijing, with participating hospitals including Peking Union Medical College, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Peking Union Hospital, Beijing Fuwai Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and Beijing Hospital. This academy provided excellent opportunities for learning and communication between young physicians who have a great interest in PH.

2020 Annual Report

The Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI) China Task Force continues its active participation in organising national and international conferences and educational courses on pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs) aiming to extend and update the understanding of venous thromboembolic diseases (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). The PVRI China Task Force has supported international collaboration among Chinese physicians to exchange clinical experiences and to create future opportunities for international collaboration. This has led to joint publications of both clinical and translational science in PVD research in China.

5 Multi-disciplinary consultation platform:

To provide good support for individualised diagnosis and treatment of PE and PH, a multidisciplinary consultation platform for the diagnosis and management of PVDs was established by the Assembly of PE-PVD Group and the Chinese Thoracic Society. By the end of November 2021, more than 100 experts from 30 centres participated in the programme.

National and international conferences of pulmonary vascular diseases 6 National Congress on Pulmonary Embolism and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and the 10th International Conference:

From 15-17 October 2021, the 13th National Congress on Pulmonary Embolism and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and the 10th International Conferences of Pulmonary Circulation Disorders were held. Both events took place in a hybrid format with the face-to-face element taking place in Chengdu, Sichuan, achieved by collaboration between the PVRI and the CTS. The most updated guidelines of PH, CTEPH, VTE and particularly the updated guidelines on anti-thrombosis and prevention of thrombosis were covered. The talks and discussions shared the latest knowledge on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of PE and PH which helped to enhance PVRI’s educational programme. Approximately 22,101 participants joined the 113 academic reports online.

The Annual Congress of the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians, (CMDA) was held on 17-20 July 2020 in Wuhan. This conference provided a stage for communication to ensure a high standard and further progress in the diagnosis and treatment of PVDs including PE and PH for physicians, scientists and other healthcare providers in China.

7 Regional conference of Pulmonary Hypertension 15-16 May 2021 the Guangzhou Forum of PH was held in Guangzhou.

A total of 150 scientists and doctors participated and discussed the important topics of PH, including the pathogenesis of PH, the recent progress on the standardised diagnosis and treatment.

13-14 November 2021 The Guangzhou International Pulmonary Vascular Intervention Summit Forum was held in Guangzhou. Experts on PVD research from the United States, Japan, as well as over 80 Chinese experts gave lectures and discussed the broad spectrum of academic topics in the diagnosis and interventional treatment of PVDs. The Annual International Summit Forum on Pulmonary Vascular Intervention held by the Guangdong Clinical Medical Association and the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health provided a platform for sharing experiences and discussing the latest studies. Over 8,400 medical staff nationwide joined the forum online.

The main activities include:

Implementing national strategies on PE-DVT and CTEPH programme

 1. National Programme for Prevention and Management of Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Venous Thrombosis in China (China VTE Prevention Programme) The Ministry of Health in China recognises the need for national policies to prevent and treat PE-DVT by implementing and ensuring that PE-DVT prevention and treatment is included into hospital assessments. Throughout the year more than 800 hospitals participated in the programme. The programme s aimed to help hospitals nationwide to establish a system for the prevention and management of PE-DVT by formulating strategies of thromboprophylaxis, and standardising the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of VTE. The VTE prevention programme established in China could be a model which may be used throughout the developing world when managing VTE.

 2. In addition, the China Task Force hosted a series of scientific conferences at national level to combat VTE.

Formation of national multidisciplinary steering committee.

• Standardisation of VTE prevention and management system. Promotion of guidelines and a user manual for VTE prevention and treatment.Recommendation of procedures for risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of VTE.
• Application of information technology and quality control system.
• Education on VTE prevention and management.

The Chinese Task Force supported 246 experts nationally from different fields to work together on the VTE prevention and treatment in support of 102 hospitals where they conducted an evaluation of the establishment of their system for VTE prevention and management. The areas of assessment included organisation and management, medical care and technique, education, and scientific research. The

hospital visits led to an improved understanding of in-hospital VTE prevention. Three sessions were organised at ten different hospitals. This led to an improved understanding of how to prevent VTE. The sessions attracted over 720 visitors from over 240 hospitals nationwide.

 3. As an important part of the National VTE Prevention Programme, regional alliance were formed as an important task of developing regional VTE prevention programmes throughout China. Regional alliance        have been established in 19 provinces including Beijing, Sichuan, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Fujian, Henan, Guizhou, Hebei, Yunnan, Gansu, Tianjin, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi

and the Jilin province. More than 1,800 individuals from different specialties attended the Conference

of VTE Prevention in China and over 19,000 people participated in the meeting through a live broadcast.

 4. To increase the awareness of thrombosis, some activities were conducted during the whole week of 13–16 October 2020 around World Thrombosis Day (13 October), including the awareness raising and education for patients and members of the public, MDT consultations for PE-DVT patients, social media activities aimed at increasing awareness of WTD, and education programmes for physicians.

5. From 24–27 September 2020, a CTEPH Master Class was held. This was conducted as a multicenter and multidisciplinary education platform for the diagnosis and management of pulmonary vascular diseases and organised through an on-line education programme at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. More than 7000 attendees from 30 provinces in China participated in the education programme. This Master Class provided an excellent learning and communication opportunity for young physicians who have a growing interest in CTEPH.

Education courses of pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs)

 6. To celebrate World Pulmonary Hypertension Day, on 5 May 2020, physicians from different cities conducted an on-line meeting on a national scale to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension. Staging various events involving both the scientific community and general public, more than 300 multidisciplinary physicians and 1,000 patients and family members participated in the activities from cities all over China. The issues of health education, social support, medical insurance and standardised treatment for Chinese pulmonary hypertension patients were discussed.

 7. In addition, the Pulmonary Hypertension Academy, a multicenter and multidisciplinary education platform for diagnosis and management of pulmonary vascular diseases arranged a 1-week education programme in Beijing China, which included the Peking Union Medical College, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Peking Union Hospital, Beijing Fuwai Hopsital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and Beijing Hospital. More than 20 young fellows from different parts of China participated in the education programme providing excellent learning and communication opportunities for young physicians who have an interest in pulmonary hypertension.

 8. In July 2020, two education programmes on standardising the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary vascular diseases were organised by the Chinese Medical Journal. These courses provided updates on several important aspects including diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension, as well as a standardised operational procedure for imaging pulmonary hypertension. More than ten multidisciplinary physicians jointly explored and distributed some key points on the clinical practice of evaluating and managing pulmonary arterial hypertension in their patients.

 9. The PE-PVD group from the Chinese Thoracic Society established a multidisciplinary consultation platform for the diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular diseases providing support for individual diagnosis and treatment. Over 100 experts from 30 centers participated in the programme. The platform provided an excellent learning and communication opportunity for physicians. National and international conferences of pulmonary vascular diseases

 10. From 16 -18 October 2020, the 12th National Congress on Pulmonary Embolism and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and the 10th International Conference of Pulmonary Circulation Disorders were held online in collaboration with the PVRI and Chinese Thoracic Council. The topics covered the most recently updated guidelines on pulmonary hypertension, CTEPH , venous thromboembolism (VTE) and especially the updated antithrombotics and prevention of thrombosis guidelines, which provided the latest knowledge of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension. The PVRI also helped enhance the educational programme during the meeting.

 11. From 21–24 October 2020, the 19th National Conference of the Chinese Thoracic Society was held in Shenzhen, China. This meeting provided a platform of communication that ensured further progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary vascular diseases including pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension for physicians, scientists, and other healthcare providers in China.

 12. From 1 March - 31 October 2020, collaborations between the National PE-PVD Assembly and the Chinese Medical Association led to several workshops of pulmonary vascular diseases. These were held in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Hangzhou, Nanjing and other areas. The topics covered the latest knowledge of diagnosis, treatment, and research of pulmonary hypertension for cardiologists and pulmonologists in South China. The workshops also covered the most updated guidelines and research on pulmonary hypertension.

COVID-19 and pulmonary vascular diseases and thromboembolic disease

 13. From February 2020 - July 2020, the PVRI China Centre collaborated with colleagues from around the globe organising several symposia on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Covid-19 related thromboembolic diseases and pulmonary vascular diseases, covering topics in critical care issues of Covid-19, the management and the prevention and thrombotic and vasculature and complications related to Covid-19.

 14. On February 2020 and April 2020, the Consensuses Statement of Covid-19 related VTE was published in the Thrombosis and Hemostasis and Chinese Medical Journal. Based on frontline practical experience and on a comprehensive literature review, a panel of experts and physicians from China and Europe developed an evidence and opinion-based Consensus Statement on the prophylaxis and management of VTE associated with Covid-19. This Statement aims to support clinicians treating Covid-19 patients and provides practical recommendations in detailed situations, for example, how to choose thromboprophylactic measures for patients with diverse severity of disease and bleeding risk, or recommendations on which type of anticoagulant should be prescribed. With limited experience on Covid-19 associated VTE, this expert Consensus Statement should be helpful for clinicians throughout the world.

 The PVRI would like to express their thanks to the China Task Force for carrying such an immense array of activities during 2020 and for developing a Consensus Statement which will be helpful to clinicians throughout the world who treat COVID-19 patients.

2019 Annual Report

In 2019, the PVRI China Task Force has continued to encourage collaboration on a domestic and an international level. This effort has resulted in several international joint publications and promoted both clinical and translational science in pulmonary vascular research in China. 

The main activities include:

• Education courses on pulmonary vascular disease (PVD)
• National and international conferences
• Implementing national strategies for pulmonary embolism treatment
• PVD management 

Education courses of pulmonary vascular diseases (PVDs)

• 1-6 May 2019: In conjunction with World Pulmonary Hypertension Day (5 May) physicians from different cities held meetings to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension by staging events involving both the scientific community and the general public.

-        A series of educational and social activities for pulmonary hypertension were held in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, and Shenyang, to name a few.

-        More than 150 multidisciplinary physicians – including many pulmonary hypertension specialists – and 1,000 patients and family members participated in these activities.

-        Topics such as health education, social support, medical insurance and standardised pulmonary hypertension treatment for Chinese patients were discussed.

• 6-11 May 2019: The Pulmonary Hypertension Academy, a multicentre and multidisciplinary education platform for the diagnosis and management of pulmonary vascular disease, arranged a week education programme in Beijing China. The following institutions were present:

-        Peking Union Medical College

-        China-Japan Friendship Hospital

-        Peking Union Hospital

-        Beijing Fuwai Hopsital

-        Beijing Anzhen Hospital

-        Beijing Chaoyang Hospital

-        Beijing Hospital.

More than 20 young fellows from different parts of China participated in the education programme. The academy provides an excellent learning and communication opportunities for young physicians, who have a primary interest in pulmonary hypertension.

• July 2019: Two education programmes, devoted to standardising the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary vascular disease, were organised by the Chinese Medical Journal.

These courses provided updates on several important aspects, including diagnosis and pulmonary hypertension treatment, as well as standardised operational procedures for imaging pulmonary hypertension.

More than 10 multidisciplinary physicians jointly explored and contributed on the clinical practice of evaluation and management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). 

• July-October 2019: To provide support for individualised diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension, a multidisciplinary consultation platform for diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular diseases was established by the Assembly of PE-PVD (pulmonary embolism-pulmonary vascular disease) group within the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS).

By the end of October 2019, more than 100 experts from 30 centres have participated in the programme. The platform provided an excellent learning and communication opportunities for physicians. 

• 12-14 October 2019: To increase the awareness  of  thrombosis,  further activities were conducted around WTD (World Thrombosis Day, 13 October), including an educational event for patients and the public, MDT (multi-disciplinary team) consultation for pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients, social media activities for increasing awareness of WTD, and an education programme for physicians. 

National and international conferences

• 14-16 April 2019: The 11th National Congress on Pulmonary Embolism and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and the 9th International Conferences of Pulmonary Circulation Disorders were held in Hohhot, China, with the collaboration of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute and the Chinese Thoracic Society.

• The symposium covered updated guidelines for pulmonary hypertension, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and venous thromboembolism (VTE), with new information on the use of antithrombotics and thrombosis prevention. The latest knowledge to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension was shared. The PVRI also enhanced its educational programme during the meeting.

• October 2019: The China Heart Congress. The one-and-a-half-day pulmonary vascular disease session was attended mostly by cardiology physicians. Professors Xiansheng Chen and Lan Zhao gave lectures in the meeting, covering topics on advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as in congenital heart disease and medical and surgical treatment of CTEPH.
• 3-7 September 2019: The 19th National Conference of the Chinese Thoracic Society was held in Suzhou, China. This meeting provided a communication stage that will ensure further progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary vascular disease, including pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension for physicians, scientists and other health care providers in China.

• 1 March-31 October 2019: Several workshops on pulmonary vascular disease were held in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian, Hangzhou, Nanjing in collaboration with the National PE-PVD Assembly and the Chinese Medical Association.

The topics, which provided the latest knowledge of diagnosis, research and pulmonary hypertension treatments from cardiologist and pulmonologist in South China, covered the most updated guidelines and research in pulmonary hypertension. 

Implementing national strategies on PE- and PVD programme

• The formulation of national policies is an important prerequisite and guarantee for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary embolisms PE and DVT. The Ministry of Health in China has clearly included PE-DVT prevention and treatment into hospital assessment indicators to ensure it is well implemented.

During the year, more than 500 hospitals participated in the venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention programme spearheaded by the PVRI and the China Task Force.

Further information

• 2021 Annual report
• 2020 Annual report
• 2019 Annual report
• 2018 Annual report
• 2017 Annual report
• 2016 Annual report
• 2015 Annual report