Patient Feedback on a Warfarin Action Plan Used in a Local Australian Physician Practice Setting

Warfarin is a high-risk medicine, and older persons (those aged 65 years and older)^1,2 who take this therapy need medicines information about it that is at a level which is both understandable and comprehensive to improve their knowledge about the risks and benefits of warfarin therapy.^3,4 Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to report patient feedback on a Warfarin Action Plan (WAP) (leaflet) and identify patients’ preferences regarding its content and format. The secondary objective was to canvass in-depth feedback regarding the participants’ information needs and current information-seeking practices with respect to warfarin therapy.

In an Australian General Practice medical centre setting, a qualitative study comprising 34 individual interviews was conducted. Emergent themes were elicited via a qualitative analysis using manual inductive coding.

The majority of participants gave very positive feedback on the WAP leaflet, stating that it was a useful and concise resource. In canvasing this feedback, 4 themes emerged: (1) the need for information about warfarin therapy, (2) reliance on doctors and/or pharmacists for information, (3) the need for information to normalize their daily life, and (4) patients and carers acting on the new information.

The WAP is a simple and well-received tool that meets the knowledge and education needs about warfarin therapy for older people and their carers.