Patient self-management of long-term oral anticoagulation in Switzerland

Fritschi, Jordan; Raddatz-Müller, Pascale; Schmid, Pirmin; Wuillemin, Walter A (2007). Patient self-management of long-term oral anticoagulation in Switzerland. Swiss medical weekly, 137(17-18), pp. 252-8. Muttenz: EMH Schweizerischer Ärzteverlag

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Indications for oral anticoagulation (OAC) have increased in recent years. OAC requires frequent monitoring of the prothrombin time to keep the intensity within the therapeutic range and to minimise the risk for complications. Patient self-management (PSM) has been found to improve the quality of OAC. The present study aimed to investigate the first 330 patients performing PSM in Switzerland. A questionnaire was sent to all patients who followed a teaching program for PSM of OAC between 1998 and 2003. Moreover, family physicians were contacted and/or discharge letters were obtained from the hospitals or the treating physicians. During the study period 13 patients died. Out of the 300 patients providing information 254 (85%) still perform PSM. At least one INR determination per two weeks was done by 74% of the patients and 25% performed at least one INR measurement every 15-30 days. The median time spent within the individual INR target range was 72%. No thromboembolic complications occurred, however, among the 13 patients who died, 1 had myocardial infarction and 6 died of heart failure. When counting these events as arterial thromboembolic complications the frequency was 0.6 (95% CI: 0.3-1.3) per 100 patient-years. The frequency of major bleeding was 0.6 (95% CI: 0.2-1.3) per 100 patient-years. We conclude from this study investigating a real-world patient collective that PSM is suitable and safe for the patients identified by their family physicians and successfully trained by our training centre.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Haematology, Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Medicine and Hospital Pharmacy (DOLS) > Clinic of Haematology and Central Haematological Laboratory
UniBE Contributor:	Schmid, Pirmin
ISSN:	1424-7860
ISBN:	17557215
Publisher:	EMH Schweizerischer Ärzteverlag
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:54
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:16
PubMed ID:	17557215
Web of Science ID:	000247120400002
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/22901 (FactScience: 37621)