OBJECTIVE: To achieve a common strategy in the event of a suspected venous thromboembolism. DESIGN: A multifaceted intervention, combining an audit strategy and implementation of local guidelines: phase 1, the first step, consisted of a 6-month audit to identify dysfunction; during phase 2, intervention, local guidelines were formulated by a working group and then implemented; phase 3 consisted of a re-audit over a 6-month period following the intervention. SETTING: A tertiary hospital, France. PARTICIPANTS: 419 patients with suspected venous thromboembolism in phase 1; 287 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism in phase 3. RESULTS: First phase: a dysfunction was observed in three of five criteria under study: (i) the diagnostic procedure lasted more than 48 hours in 114 patients (27.2%); (ii) no anticoagulant therapy at the time of suspicion in 116 patients (27.7%); (iii) an inconclusive lung scan without further testing in the event of a suspected pulmonary embolism in 40 patients (14%); the intervention phase was thus restricted to the management of suspected pulmonary embolism; similar results were found during the phase 3 re-audit. CONCLUSION: No improvement in the diagnostic work-up in the event of a suspected pulmonary embolism was observed following this multifaceted intervention.