Anticoagulants prevent the formation or expansion of blood clots and are essential medicines to prevent conditions such as stroke and deep vein thrombosis. For many years, the only oral anticoagulant available was warfarin, however, since 2008, the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have come to market. Table 1 (Attached in Project Description) is from the HSE Medicines Management Programme and it illustrates the significant increase in the number of patients being prescribed DOACs with a corresponding decrease in the number of patients using warfarin.
The preference for these medications lies with the fact that the medicines have fewer drug-drug interactions, food interactions and do not require routine monitoring unlike warfarin. However, less frequent contact with healthcare professionals may contribute to poor patient knowledge about the use of these drugs which may lead to negative health consequences. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that patients understand the importance of compliance and how to act in different scenarios, for example, if they vomit after taking the medicine. The aim of my study is to assess patients’ knowledge of Direct Oral Anticoagulants. A previous study conducted in Switzerland developed a questionnaire on this topic but the questionnaire is in German and so I aim to validate the use of this questionnaire in an English-speaking population. Conducting this research will allow me to determine gaps in patients’ knowledge and to propose ways in which these can be addressed in order to improve patient safety.
