Educational and behavioural interventions to increase the time in the therapeutic range for patients with atrial fibrillation on
anticoagulant therapy
Atrial fibrillation is a chronic condition that is characterised by an irregular heart beat. This irregularity of the heart rhythm places
people with atrial fibrillation at greater risk of forming blood clots and subsequently increases their risk of stroke. The most common
treatment for reducing the risk of stroke is medication with oral drugs that ’thin’ the blood, known as oral anticoagulants, to reduce
the risk of blood clots forming. People taking warfarin are regularly monitored to assess the time it takes for their blood to clot,
known as the International Normalised Ratio (INR), to ensure that the INR is within the target therapeutic range of 2.0 to 3.0. This
narrow therapeutic range is often difficult to achieve due to the many factors that can affect INR control such as alcohol intake, other
medications, and food intake.
Educational and behavioural interventions may play an important role in improving the ability of people with atrial fibrillation to
maintain their INR control, by increasing their knowledge and understanding about warfarin and atrial fibrillation. The objectives
of this review were to assess the effects of educational and behavioural interventions for people with atrial fibrillation who were on
warfarin to maintain a therapeutic INR range.
Eight studies were finally included within the review. Interventions included patient education, decision aids, and self-monitoring plus
education. The primary outcome for the review was the percentage of time the INR was within the therapeutic range. Decision conflict,
measuring patients’ uncertainty in making health related decisions and factors contributing to that uncertainty, was also a common
outcome for decision aid trials. Other outcomes included the percentage of INRs in the therapeutic range, major bleeding, stroke,
thromboembolic (clotting) events, knowledge, patient satisfaction, quality of life, and anxiety.
Three self-monitoring plus education trials reported the time in the therapeutic range; the pooled data did not favour either selfmonitoring
or usual care.Data fromtwo decision aid trials favoured usual care in terms of reducing people’s decision conflict surrounding
treatment uptake and adherence.
The review authors concluded that more trials are needed to examine the impact of educational and behavioural interventions on
anticoagulation control in people with atrial fibrillation. We now have novel oral anticoagulants that do not require monitoring of
INR as warfarin does. Education is particularly important to provide safety information and ensure patients are able to make informed
decisions about treatment options and to manage their oral anticoagulation therapy. However, more disease-specific theory-driven
interventions need to be trialled to understand the mechanisms by which such interventions can be successful.
Educational and behavioural interventions to increase the time in the therapeutic range for patients with atrial fibrillation onanticoagulant therapyAtrial fibrillation is a chronic condition that is characterised by an irregular heart beat. This irregularity of the heart rhythm placespeople with atrial fibrillation at greater risk of forming blood clots and subsequently increases their risk of stroke. The most commontreatment for reducing the risk of stroke is medication with oral drugs that ’thin’ the blood, known as oral anticoagulants, to reducethe risk of blood clots forming. People taking warfarin are regularly monitored to assess the time it takes for their blood to clot,known as the International Normalised Ratio (INR), to ensure that the INR is within the target therapeutic range of 2.0 to 3.0. Thisnarrow therapeutic range is often difficult to achieve due to the many factors that can affect INR control such as alcohol intake, othermedications, and food intake.Educational and behavioural interventions may play an important role in improving the ability of people with atrial fibrillation tomaintain their INR control, by increasing their knowledge and understanding about warfarin and atrial fibrillation. The objectivesof this review were to assess the effects of educational and behavioural interventions for people with atrial fibrillation who were onwarfarin to maintain a therapeutic INR range.Eight studies were finally included within the review. Interventions included patient education, decision aids, and self-monitoring pluseducation. The primary outcome for the review was the percentage of time the INR was within the therapeutic range. Decision conflict,measuring patients’ uncertainty in making health related decisions and factors contributing to that uncertainty, was also a commonoutcome for decision aid trials. Other outcomes included the percentage of INRs in the therapeutic range, major bleeding, stroke,thromboembolic (clotting) events, knowledge, patient satisfaction, quality of life, and anxiety.Three self-monitoring plus education trials reported the time in the therapeutic range; the pooled data did not favour either selfmonitoringor usual care.Data fromtwo decision aid trials favoured usual care in terms of reducing people’s decision conflict surroundingtreatment uptake and adherence.The review authors concluded that more trials are needed to examine the impact of educational and behavioural interventions onanticoagulation control in people with atrial fibrillation. We now have novel oral anticoagulants that do not require monitoring ofINR as warfarin does. Education is particularly important to provide safety information and ensure patients are able to make informeddecisions about treatment options and to manage their oral anticoagulation therapy. However, more disease-specific theory-driveninterventions need to be trialled to understand the mechanisms by which such interventions can be successful.
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