Physician specialty is associated with differences in warfarin use for atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether physician specialty is associated with prescription of warfarin to elderly persons with atrial fibrillation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-eight randomly selected general practitioners--all 58 internists and all 27 cardiologists in southern Alberta were surveyed by mail.


METHODS
Physicians identified their preferred drug for stroke prevention generally and in response to two hypothetical cases.


RESULTS
Response rates were 66% (general practitioners), 76% (internists) and 89% (cardiologists). Specialists (92%) were more likely than general practitioners (76%) to choose warfarin (P = 0.007). Findings were similar for questions related to case scenarios; however, the magnitude of differences between specialists and general practitioners was less pronounced. Specialists were more likely (77%) to prescribe warfarin for elderly females than were general practitioners (62%, P = 0.08). Similar proportions of specialists (77%) and general practitioners (67%) would prescribe warfarin to elderly males.


CONCLUSIONS
Physician specialty is associated with warfarin prescription for elderly persons with atrial fibrillation.
Kellen
J C
JC
Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta. kellenj@acs.ucalgary.ca
Russell
M L
ML
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002170:Canada; D002309:Cardiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D013038:Specialization; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin