Self-management of oral anticoagulation in elderly patients: Effects on treatment-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND - RATIONALE FOR STUDY: In elderly patients, long-term self-management of oral anticoagulation has been shown to reduce the number of major thromboembolic and bleeding complications and improve the quality of oral anticoagulation (OAC) control compared to routine care for a mean follow-up period of three years. This article presents the results of the predefined secondary endpoint treatment-related quality of life (QoL).

METHODS AND RESULTS:

The effect of self-management on five aspects of QoL was evaluated in comparison with routine care. A validated questionnaire specifically designed for patients receiving OAC was used. The evaluation was possible for 141 patients, comprising 90% of surviving patients on OAC. At baseline, all patients had high scores for the following QoL-aspects: general treatment satisfaction, self-efficacy, daily hassles and strained social network. A high proportion of patients in both groups explicitly reported high distress, indicating that general psychological distress seems to be of particular concern in this population. After about 3 years of follow-up, patients performing self-management showed a significantly greater improvement in general treatment satisfaction than controls (median score increase [25th percentile, 75th percentile]: 0.9 [0.0, 1.6] vs. 0.0 [-0.2, 0.6], p=0.002; scale 1-6). Changes in general psychological distress, self-efficacy, daily hassles and strained social network were not significant.

CONCLUSION:

Treatment related quality of life in elderly patients performing self-management of OAC was similar as for patients in routine care setting, with a tendency of higher general treatment satisfaction, after three years of follow up.