A targeted educational intervention increases oral anticoagulation rates in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients.

Background: Anticoagulation is the cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (AF) management for stroke prevention. Recently, we showed that oral anticoagulation (OAC) rates of AF patients in a large U.S. multispecialty health system are >80%.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to improve OAC rates in AF patients via an educational intervention targeted to primary care providers with low OAC rates.

Methods: Primary care clinicians were stratified by proportions of their AF patients at elevated stroke risk not taking anticoagulation medication. Clinicians with the lowest rates of anticoagulation were assigned to a target group receiving an educational program consisting of E-mail messaging summarizing anticoagulation guidelines. All other clinicians were assigned to a comparison group (CG). Data from a 6-month lead-in phase were compared with a 6-month follow-up period to determine whether the proportion of AF patients treated with OACs had changed.

Results: Of the 141 primary care clinicians with patients who met the inclusion criteria, 36 (25.53%) were assigned to the educational group (EG) and 105 (74.47%) to the CG. At baseline, there was a significant difference in percent of high-risk AF patients who were untreated in the EG (20.65%) compared to the high-risk patients who were untreated in the CG (13.64%; = .001). After the educational intervention, high-risk AF patients without anticoagulation decreased in both EG (15.47%; = .047) and CG (10.14%; = .07), with greater absolute reduction in the EG (5.19% vs 3.50%).

Conclusion: A targeted education program was associated with increased anticoagulation rates for AF patients at high risk for stroke.