Hospital resources to manage pulmonary embolism and the establishment of pulmonary embolism response teams: Many models of care

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) management has become increasingly complex, resulting in clinical uncertainty and practice variability. Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERT) are recommended to facilitate timely, consensus-driven management in complex cases. A statewide survey was conducted in 2025 across major public hospitals in Queensland, Australia, with emergency, internal medicine or thoracic services and intensive care units. The survey assessed available resources, the presence of PERTs and the use of management protocols for acute PE. Of 26 eligible hospitals, 80 departmental responses were received (response rate 86%), representing at least one department per hospital. While 96.2% of hospitals could rapidly assess and provide treatment for patients with acute PE, only 10 (38.5%) were able to deliver the full spectrum of medical, surgical and endovascular therapies. Multidisciplinary follow-up was available in 73.1% of hospitals, but only 57.7% routinely collected outcome data. Established PERTs were present in 26.9% of hospitals, predominantly larger academic teaching hospitals. For hospitals with a PERT, all had a single point of contact while only three of seven used a conference calling system. While an intensivist was involved in calls at all participating facilities, a thoracic physician was routinely involved in the PERT call process in five hospitals (71.4%), and a cardiologist in just three (42.9%) hospitals. Considerable variability was identified in protocol awareness, follow-up arrangements, PERT structure and activation processes. Despite widespread capacity for PE management, significant variability exists in resource availability, protocol use, specialist follow-up and PERT implementation.