Educational diagnosis of patients under oral anticoagulant therapy: Development of a 4-category patient profiling score based on a retrospective study and prospective analysis.

Abstract

Oral anticoagulants are used in numerous pathologies and their consumption is growing. However, to prevent their occurrence, their use should be supervised and the patients educated. Patients vary in understanding and compliance. Therefore, it seems necessary to standardize educational diagnosis with a patient profiling score to adapt therapeutic education to the individual patient profile. A retrospective study based on observation of consecutive patients treated by an oral anticoagulant therapy and involved in a therapeutic education program conducted between October 2014 and December 2015. A 12-item questionnaire distinguished 4 profiles based on the educational diagnosis. In a prospective double-blind study including consecutive patients with an indication to anticoagulants and admitted to the Internal Medicine department of the Louis-Mourier Hospital (AP-HP, University of Paris), the patient's profile defined by a clinician using the questionnaire was compared to the one defined by the Therapeutic Education Leader after standardized educational diagnosis. The questionnaire was tested prospectively in 53 patients, 26 of which had also a complete therapeutic education by the TEP leader. In any case, the assessment assisted by the questionnaire succeeded in identifying the patient profile, as determined by the therapeutic education specialist. The present questionnaire helps identify different patient profiles and therefore standardize educational diagnosis. The perspective is to adapt therapeutic education to individual patient profile, with the objective to improve compliance.