title: A pilot assessment of why patients choose not to participate in self-monitoring oral anticoagulant therapy.
abstract: Patients suffering from heart diseases often face lifelong oral anticoagulant therapy. Traditionally, the patient's general practitioner takes care of the treatment. An alternative management scheme is a self-monitoring setup where the patient monitors and manages the oral treatment himself. Despite international evidence of reduced thrombosis risk and death rate among patients enrolled in self-monitoring, a majority of eligible patients deselect this opportunity. Little is about the causes if this. This study is a pilot assessment of why patients, located in the North Denmark Region, choose not to participate. The study is based on qualitative interviews with two nurses working in a medical practice and two patients participating in conventional anticoagulant therapy. The results of this study seem to suggest that at least some patients feel a lack of information to base their decision regarding self-monitoring or conventional management on and that the knowledge among the health personnel at the medical clinics should be increased.
authors: Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
authors: Morten Algy
authors: MA
authors: Bonderup
authors: Stine Veje
authors: SV
authors: Hangaard
authors: Pernille Heyckendorff
authors: PH
authors: Lilholt
authors: Mette Dencker
authors: MD
authors: Johansen
authors: Ole K
authors: OK
authors: Hejlesen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012648:Self Care
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants