Association of conflicting information from healthcare providers and poor shared decision making with suboptimal adherence in direct oral anticoagulant treatment: a cross-sectional study in patients with atrial fibrillation

Objective: To assess direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) adherence and to determine possible determinants for suboptimal adherence in Dutch patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Cross-sectional study of DOAC users who completed a self-reported questionnaire. Adherence was measured with Morisky8-item Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate determinants affecting adherence. Results: 398 DOAC users completed the questionnaire (mean age 70.6 ± 9.2years). Approximately one in four patients had suboptimal adherence (MMAS-8 < 8). Multivariable analysis showed that patients who felt to have received conflicting information about the treatment, patients with higher educational level and patients who were not sufficiently involved in the treatment choice had a higher odds of suboptimal adherence. Conclusion: DOAC adherence was suboptimal. Conflicting information received from different healthcare providers (HCPs), lack of shared decision making and the patients’ educational level were determinants negatively affecting DOAC adherence. Practice implications: Efforts towards identifying suboptimally adherent DOAC patients are needed since they are at higher risk to develop thromboembolic events. Adherence counselling should be systematically and repeatedly encouraged and shared decision making should become more mainstream. Moreover, reinforced education of both patients and HCPs combined with interprofessional collaboration are potential solutions to prevent knowledge gaps and communication of conflicting information.