Rowan Foundation report centers patient voices on blood clot risk

The Rowan Foundation released a new report on Oct. 7, 2026 that turns survivor and family input into six priorities for better blood clot communication, symptom recognition and women’s health decisions. The report lands ahead of World Thrombosis Day and is meant to shape future patient-informed education and programming.

Why it matters: - The Rowan Foundation’s report aims to close gaps in how women learn about blood clot risk, weigh treatment choices and respond to symptoms. - The findings are meant to improve real-world care across contraception, fertility treatment, pregnancy, postpartum care and menopause. - Better communication could help patients recognize warning signs sooner and make more informed decisions with clinicians.

What happened: - The Rowan Foundation released "Voices to Practice: Patient and Family Insights for Blood Clot Awareness and Safer Women’s Health Decisions" on Oct. 7, 2026. - The report was shaped by blood clot survivors, people in recovery, family members and bereaved parents. - The work came out of the Foundation’s Patient & Community Advisory Group, or PCAG. - The Foundation said the report is being released ahead of World Thrombosis Day on Oct. 13.

The details: - The report identifies six priorities for safer blood clot communication and care. - Women need risk information translated into clear context, warning signs and next steps. - Health history, life stage, treatment goals and personal preferences should guide individualized decisions. - Hormonal and nonhormonal options should be presented in a balanced way so patients can choose with fuller information. - Blood clots should remain on the clinical radar when symptoms, medications and risk factors point that way. - Patient input can strengthen assessment and decision-making, but patients should not be expected to diagnose themselves. - Medically reviewed resources should be easy to find, current and written clearly. - The report applies these priorities to contraception, hormonal medications used for conditions including acne and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, fertility care and IVF, pregnancy and the postpartum period, and perimenopause and menopause. - The report also addresses urgent and emergency care, family history and inherited risk, online health information, and the different roles of clinical evidence and personal stories. - The Rowan Foundation has worked since 2013 to improve awareness of blood clots connected to women’s health. - The 2026 World Thrombosis Day campaign is focusing on women’s health across the lifespan, including risks tied to pregnancy, hormonal therapies and reproductive health conditions. - The report will inform future patient-informed education, communications and programming at the Rowan Foundation. - A copy of the report is available in Voices to Practice.

Between the lines: - The report reflects a shift from one-way health messaging to patient-informed communication that blends lived experience with clinical evidence. - The emphasis on being heard suggests the Foundation sees dismissal and confusion as part of the problem, not just a lack of medical facts. - The report also signals that blood clot awareness is being framed as a women’s health issue across multiple life stages, not only during pregnancy.

What's next: - The Rowan Foundation plans to use the report’s insights to guide future education, communications and programming. - World Thrombosis Day on Oct. 13 will likely amplify the report’s themes around blood clot risk and women’s health. - Healthcare professionals may use the report as a reference point for better patient conversations about symptoms, options and risk.