Predictors for Adherence to Recommended Anticoagulation after Stroke Unit Discharge in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Introduction: Non-adherence to recommended secondary preventive anticoagulation in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common phenomenon, although the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has simplified anticoagulation management for physicians as well as for patients. Methods: We examined the adherence of secondary preventive anticoagulation in AF patients after re-integration in their social environment 6–12 weeks after stroke unit and rehabilitation clinic treatment and analyzed for predictors for adherence and non-adherence. We conducted a telephone survey in consecutive patients treated between January 2013 and December 2021 at our institutional stroke unit with an acute cerebrovascular ischemic event, and we analyzed discharge letters of rehabilitation clinics of those patients not anticoagulated at follow-up. All patients had known or newly diagnosed AF, and in all, we had recommended secondary preventive anticoagulation. Results: Follow-up information about anticoagulant intake could be obtained in 1,348 of 1,685 patients (80.0%) treated within the study period. Anticoagulation rate was 91.5%, with 83.6% of patients receiving DOACs and 7.9% receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Adherence to recommended anticoagulation was associated with intake of the recommended anticoagulant already at discharge (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 18.357; confidence interval [CI], 9.637–34.969), recommendation of a specific DOAC and dose (in contrast to “DOAC” as drug category) (adjusted OR, 2.971; CI, 1.173–7.255), a lower modified Rankin Scale at discharge (per point; adjusted OR, 0.813; CI, 0.663–0.996), younger age (per year; OR, 0.951; CI, 0.926–0.976), and the absence of peripheral vascular disease (adjusted OR, 0.359; CI, 0.173–0.746). In patients already anticoagulated at discharge, adherence was 98.5%, irrespective of a patient’s age, functional deficit at discharge, and peripheral vascular disease. Avoidable obstacles for non-adherence in patients not on anticoagulants at stroke unit discharge were (1) non-implementation of recommended anticoagulation by rehabilitation physicians predominantly in patients with moderate-severe or severe stroke disability (2.1%), (2) delegation of anticoagulation start from rehabilitation physicians to general practitioners/resident radiologists (1.3%), and (3) rejection of recommended anticoagulation because of patients’ severe stroke disability (0.5%). Non-avoidable obstacles were contraindications to anticoagulation (2.1%) and patients’ refusal (0.7%). Conclusions: Commencing drug administration already during stroke unit hospitalization and providing an explanation for the selection of the recommended anticoagulant in discharge letters ensures high adherence at patients’ re-integration in their social environment after acute stroke treatment. If drug administration cannot be commenced before discharge, education of rehabilitation physicians by stroke physicians and the involvement of stroke physicians into the post-stroke decision process might hinder avoidable obstacles.