title: Patients' perspectives regarding long-term warfarin therapy and the potential transition to new oral anticoagulant therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine patients' perspectives regarding long-term vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy and the potential transition to new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban, and to determine if factors such as residential location affect these opinions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients on VKA therapy for at least 12 weeks completed a questionnaire specifically designed for the study. They were recruited while attending point-of-care international normalized ratio (INR) testing at six South Australian general practice clinics during the period July-September 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Opinions of current VKA therapy, level of awareness of NOACs, and ratings of potential benefits and deterrents of transition to NOACs were sought.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 290 participants were available for analysis (response rate 95.4%). The majority of the sample (79.5%, 229/288) were either satisfied or very satisfied with current VKA therapy. The mean score for the potential benefits of transition to NOACs was 7.6 (±4.2) out of a possible 20, which was significantly lower than the mean score 10.9 (±4.5) for the perceived deterrents to transition (p < 0.001). Rural patients (82.0%, 82/100) were significantly more likely (p = 0.001) to have not heard of NOACs than metropolitan patients (50.3%, 95/189) and also perceived significant less benefits in a transition to NOACs (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When considering potential transition from VKAs to NOACs it is important for prescribers to consider that some patients, in particular those from a rural location, may not perceive a significant benefit in transitioning or may have particular concerns in this area.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Gebler-Hughes
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Health Sciences Building, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
authors.forename: Malcolm J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bond
keywords: INR; Warfarin; oral anticoagulants; patient preferences; vitamin K antagonists