August 2007 | Vol. 25, No. 8

SVU's Patient Education Guides Fulfill a Professional Need

People will take better care of their health when they have the opportunity to know what’s happening inside their own bodies. This simple credo is at the heart of a nationwide patient education effort by the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) and its members.

SVU is pleased with the success of five Patient Education Guides designed to expand the understanding of patients in the general population about the various vascular ultrasound exams they may have. These Guides deal with five subjects of critical concern to many patients: General Vascular Testing, Cerebrovascular Disease (including stroke), Peripheral Artery Disease (atherosclerosis), Venous Disease (including varicose veins and blood clots), and Abdominal Vascular Arterial Disease (including renovascular hypertension).

“These pamphlets are designed to help physicians and other health care personnel communicate with their patients,” says SVU Executive Director Steve Haracznak. They include a description of the system, various diseases or conditions, symptoms, treatments, risk factors, and ways to reduce risk factors. Each pamphlet, which can be ordered in increments of 50 pamphlets, also includes a handy section to record personalized instructions to the patient and the date and time of their next appointment.

Full details and ordering instructions are available from the SVU website at www.svunet.org.