Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism most often occur during hospitalization for surgery or chronic medical conditions. Consequently information on deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism is derived from large referral hospitals, and there are substantial gaps in our understanding of the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism in the community. This was one of the first studies to compare hospital acquired deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism with deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism among ambulatory residents in a community.