Management of patients receiving oral anticoagulants using computer dosing software--does everyone agree? Data from a UK NEQAS (blood coagulation) exercise.

Introduction: The quality of anticoagulation management is not readily or frequently assessed, particularly between different centres. This study sought to evaluate agreement in oral anticoagulant management decisions between participating centres in UK NEQAS programmes.

Methods: Participants were asked to indicate whether they used computerized dosing support software (CDSS) and to complete a series of questions with respect to anticoagulant management provision. Four clinical scenarios were provided, together with past and current International Normalised Ratio (INR) results. Participants were asked to provide recommendations on the target INR they would assign to the patient, the dose of warfarin and a recall interval.

Results: Seven hundred and fifty-nine centres returned results, of which 28% were enrolled in the hospital-based EQA programme, and 72% were participants in the point-of-care testing programme. Six hundred (79%) reported use of CDSS. In one straightforward scenario, there was 99% agreement in dose recommendation. However, for three more complex scenarios, differences were apparent in target INRs employed and both dose and recall recommendations. In some cases, differences related to the software system employed.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes large variation in the approach to managing these scenarios and warrants further investigation, together with education including promoting national guidelines for the assignment of target ranges.