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The oral anticoagulants’ burden
Catherine Plotton1, Camille Mouyer1, Pierre Michelland1
1Département de médecine générale, Faculté de médecine Jacques Lisfranc, Saint-Étienne, France
Insights
Oral anticoagulants significantly impact patient quality of life, with 41% experiencing treatment burden due to side effects, anxiety, or lifestyle changes. Understanding this burden is crucial for improving patient care and satisfaction with anticoagulant therapy.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
- Health Services Research
Context:
- Oral anticoagulants are essential for preventing thromboembolic events but can impose a significant burden on patients.
- Previous research has explored patient satisfaction with oral anticoagulants, but the specific treatment burden requires further investigation.
Purpose:
- To assess the treatment burden experienced by patients undergoing oral anticoagulant therapy.
- To identify factors contributing to the burden of anticoagulant treatment.
Summary:
- A cross-sectional study surveyed 389 patients receiving oral anticoagulants.
- The anti-clot treatment scale and Zarit scale were used to measure treatment satisfaction and burden.
- 41% of patients reported a burden from oral anticoagulants, particularly when experiencing side effects, anxiety, or lifestyle modifications.
Impact:
- Findings highlight that oral anticoagulants can be a considerable burden, affecting patient quality of life.
- Identifying specific burden factors can inform strategies to mitigate negative impacts and improve patient adherence and satisfaction.
- This research underscores the importance of considering the patient's holistic experience when managing anticoagulant therapy.
Background:
Oral anticoagulants generate a burden of care that can affect the patient’s quality of life. The concept of treatment’s burden measures the impact of medical care for the patient’s quality of life. Various factors can exacerbate the burden. Several studies have assessed the satisfaction of patients treated with oral anticoagulants.
Objective:
This study has assessed the burden of patients treated with oral anticoagulants.
Methods:
An analytical cross-sectional study of patients recruited from pharmacies in the Loire. A questionnaire was carried out using the anti-clot treatment scale, assessing satisfaction, and the Zarit scale, assessing the burden on carers of demented patients.
Results:
Anticoagulants were a burden for 41% (n = 158) of the 389 responding patients. Anticoagulants’ burden was higher when oral anticoagulant was responsible for side effects, anxiety or lifestyle changes.
Conclusion:
The patients could be satisfied with the benefit of the treatment, satisfied with its practical modalities, and describe modifications of lifestyle habits contributing to the burden of the treatment.
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