Anticoagulant patients in Swedish primary health care. A comparison 5 years apart.

OBJECTIVE

Anticoagulant (AC) treatment in primary health care with regard to change over time, quality of care, and prevalence.

DESIGN

Surveys of patients on AC treatment during 3 months in 1992 and 1997.

SETTING

A community in the Stockholm metropolitan area.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Main indications, rate of values within recommended treatment interval, prevalence.

RESULTS

The number of patients increased in primary health care in the community from 115 in 1992 to 170 in 1997. There were no differences in age and sex distribution, nor in the main indications. Values within the recommended treatment range 10-25% at the community health centre (CHC) were 74% in 1992 versus 86% in 1997 (p < 0.001). The estimated prevalence of AC treatment in the community in 1997 was 0.52% (0.71% for men and 0.32% for women), with an age-adjusted prevalence of 0.88%.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of AC treated patients in primary care increased by 48% in 5 years. The effectiveness of the monitoring at the CHC increased. The age-adjusted prevalence was high but equal to that in a recent Swedish study.