Identification and role of the hemostasis and thrombosis expert in the National Health System

Hemorrhagic and thrombotic diseases are very heterogeneous disorders that may affect a relevant part of the population, as in the case of patients taking antithrombotic drugs. The appropriate management of such conditions requires the availability of specific laboratory assays, together with the knowledge of possible clinical syndromes and of their appropriate treatments. This can be achieved only through second level specialized laboratories supervised by trained personnel. This type of diagnostic and therapeutic organization is not widely available in Italy, but it is present in a limited number of major hospitals, having a nationwide excellence. Increasing the availability of such resources would be very relevant for patients and this effort could also be cost-effective for the National Health System. This document, promoted by the Società Italiana per lo Studio dell'Emostasi e della Trombosi and by other major national scientific societies involved in the field is aimed at identifying the level of scientific and professional career required to define a physician as hemostasis and thrombosis expert, graded for the skills required in different clinical settings.