Computerised assistance for warfarin dosage--effects on treatment quality.

BACKGROUND

Well-managed warfarin treatment with a high time in therapeutic range (TTR) corresponds to fewer bleedings or thromboembolic complications. Many small centres manage their warfarin dosing manually, with little or no knowledge of their treatment quality as measured by TTR. AuriculA is a Swedish National web-based anticoagulation dosing system. Our hypothesis was that the web based dosing system, compared to manual dosing, would improve the TTR.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of medical records from patients with atrial fibrillation on warfarin treatment from two centres, with previously manual warfarin dosing regimens. Data for calculation of TTR was extracted manually from medical records from the time when using manual dosing and compared with the computerised regimen.

RESULTS

In centre 1, the mean TTR was significantly increased after the introduction of AuriculA, from 64.3% (95% CI 58.8-69.8) to 71.3% (95% CI 67.7-74.8), p=0.03. In centre 2, a high TTR of 73.6% (95% CI 71.3-75.9) was maintained after the implementation, 74.0% (95% CI 71.6-76.3). INR tests were prescribed significantly more frequent after the introduction of AuriculA in both centres; 20% more often at centre 1 and 21% at centre 2.

CONCLUSION

Computerised dosing assistance within the Swedish national quality registry AuriculA improves or maintains a high treatment quality with warfarin as measured by TTR.