Patient-focused interventions to support vulnerable people using oral anticoagulants: a narrative review

Effectiveness of a Nursing Intervention Module on Adherence, Knowledge, Quality of Life, and Complications Among Patients Receiving Anticoagulation therapy-a Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of mortality at the global level. They account for approximately 17.9 million deaths per year. Warfarin and acenocoumarol are the commonly used oral anticoagulants to treat and prevent thromboembolic disorders in patients with cardiovascular diseases. In India, approximately 2-2.5 million patients with rheumatic heart disease are receiving oral anticoagulation therapy. Additionally, this therapy is provided for stroke prevention in the case of atrial fibrillation and the treatment of valvular heart disease, stroke, and deep vein thrombosis. As the therapeutic range of these drugs is narrow and is affected by many factors, their use is challenging. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a nursing intervention module in terms of adherence to therapy, knowledge, quality of life, and complications among patients receiving oral anticoagulation therapy. Furthermore, this study will address factors that affect adherence and the risk for bleeding by using a randomized controlled trial design.

METHODS

This single-blind, single-center, randomized controlled trial will focus on adherence to oral anticoagulation therapy. A total of 320 patients who are on oral anticoagulation therapy will be randomized into blocks and allocated to either the intervention or standard care group. The intervention will comprise the use of a nursing intervention module that includes a booklet, log sheet, and decision aid on oral anticoagulation therapy adherence. Outcome measures, that is, knowledge regarding oral anticoagulation therapy, adherence, complications, and quality of life, will be assessed at the baseline and during follow-ups.

DISCUSSION

Patient safety can be best achieved through patients' adherence to medication dose and monitoring of blood test values. Thromboembolic and bleeding complications are likely to occur when either the patient does not adhere to the treatment or the therapeutic range of the international normalized ratio is not maintained. This study will assess the nonadherence behavior and the effectiveness of a nursing intervention module toward adherence behavior.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This research project is registered under the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2019/06/019610).

The impact of direct oral anti-coagulants on hip fracture management : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hip fractures are a common presentation in the elderly, a group who commonly have co-morbidities requiring the use of anticoagulants. Recently, direct oral anti-coagulants (DOAC) have become a popular method of anticoagulating patients. The primary aim of this review is to determine if the use of DOAC in elderly patients with hip fractures results in delays to theatre and/or an increased mortality risk. Major databases including Pubmed, MEDLINE and Embase were searched for relevant studies and the included studies reference lists were screened for further studies. A total of 6 studies were included in meta-analysis which was undertaken using RevMan software with 95% confidence interval (CI). Compared to control groups, patients who were anticoagulated with DOAC and required operative management of a hip fracture experienced a statistically significant delay to treatment. However independent analysis showed these patients did not experience an increased mortality risk when compared to the control group. While data is limited, treating clinicians should be comforted by these findings as operative manage- ment can be safely delayed to reduce the risk of intraoperative bleeding.

Improving anticoagulation in sub-Saharan Africa: What are the challenges and how can we overcome them?

Patients in sub-Saharan Africa generally have poor anticoagulation control. We review the potential reasons for this poor control, as well as the potential solutions. Challenges include the affordability and centralisation of anticoagulation care, problems with access to medicines and international normalised ratio monitoring, the lack of locally validated standardized dosing protocols, and low levels of anticoagulation knowledge among healthcare workers and patients. Increasing numbers of patients will need anticoagulation in the future because of the increasing burden of noncommunicable disease in the region. We propose that locally developed "warfarin care bundles" which address multiple anticoagulation challenges in combination may be the most appropriate solution in this setting currently.

Motivational Interviewing to Support Oral AntiCoagulation adherence in patients with non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation (MISOAC-AF): a randomized clinical trial

AIMS

We aimed to assess the impact of an educational, motivational intervention on the adherence to oral anticoagulation (OAC) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Hospitalized patients with non-valvular AF who received OAC were randomly assigned to usual medical care or a proactive intervention, comprising motivational interviewing, and tailored counselling on medication adherence. The primary study outcome was adherence to OAC at 1 year, which was evaluated according to proportion of days covered (PDC) by OAC regimens and was assessed through nationwide registers of prescription claims. Secondary outcomes included the rate of persistence to OAC, gaps in treatment, and clinical events. A total of 1009 patients were randomized, 500 in the intervention group and 509 in the control group. At 1-year follow-up, 77.2% (386/500) of patients in the intervention group were adherent (PDC > 80%), compared with 55% (280/509) in the control group [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.14-3.75; P < 0.001]. Mean PDC ± standard deviation was 0.85 ± 0.26 and 0.75 ± 0.31, respectively (P < 0.001). Patients that received the intervention were more likely to persist in their OAC therapy at 1 year (aOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.71-3.41; P < 0.001). Usual medical care was associated with more major (≥3 months) treatment gaps (aOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.76-3.26; P < 0.001). Clinical events over a median follow-up period of 2 years did not differ among treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

In patients receiving OAC therapy for non-valvular AF, a multilevel motivational intervention significantly improved medication adherence and rate of therapy persistence, and reduced major gaps in treatment. No significant impact on clinical outcomes was observed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02941978.

A comparison between warfarin and apixaban: A patient's perspective

BACKGROUND

Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were developed as alternatives to warfarin. However, the patients' preference regarding warfarin or the NOACs has not been established. Quality-of-life (QOL) surveys are a well-established method for determining the patients' preference for a treatment route.

AIMS

This study compared the patients' perspectives on treatment with warfarin versus apixaban using the QOL measures.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 for patients treated with either warfarin or apixaban at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

We used a series of descriptive statistics to examine the differences in sociodemographic characteristics among patients. A propensity score-matching approach was employed to reduce the effect of confounding variables that often influence treatment selection. Greedy matching approach was used to analyze the QOL.

RESULTS

A total of 388 patients were identified, of which 124 were matched between the two groups (62 patients in each group). Most of the patients were female, married, below the sufficiency level, educated, and nonsmokers. The patients using warfarin had a significantly better health state (M = 69.64, standard deviation [SD] = 16.52) than those using apixaban (M = 66.33, SD = 23.17), P = 0.011.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies should explore why patients using apixaban showed lower QOL scores and improve health-care providers' awareness of these issues.