Rolls, Chanelle A., Obamiro, Kehinde, Chalmers, Leanne, and Bereznicki, Luke R. E. (2017) The relationship between knowledge, health literacy, and adherence among patients taking oral anticoagulants for stroke thromboprophylaxis in atrial fibrillation. Cardiovascular Therapeutics, 35. e12304.

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Abstract

Background: Patients’ knowledge regarding their oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatmentfor stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), their level of medication adherence, andhealth literacy are known to affect treatment outcomes. However, contemporary dataregarding the relationships between these variables are lacking.Objective: To investigate the relationships between anticoagulant knowledge, healthliteracy, and self-reported adherence in patients taking warfarin and the directly actingoral anticoagulants.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 48 patients with AF identifiedfrom general practices. The Anticoagulation Knowledge Tool (AKT) was used to assessanticoagulation knowledge; the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults(s-TOFHLA) for health literacy; and the 8- item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale(MMAS) for medication adherence.Results: Participants had mean scores of 61.6 ± 15.8, 7.2 ± 1.1, and 24.7 ± 9.5 for theAKT, MMAS-8 and s-TOFHLA, respectively. Significant correlations were observedbetween anticoagulation knowledge and health literacy with medication adherence(0.37, P < .01 and .30, P < .05, respectively). Participants with inadequate health liter-acy had a significantly lower mean knowledge score than those with adequate healthliteracy (55.8 ± 15.9 vs 66.1 ± 14.4, P < .05). Participants who self-reported adherenceto their OAC had significantly higher knowledge scores than those who did not(67.5 ± 13.3 vs 56.1 ± 16.2, P < .05).Conclusion: Significant correlations between health literacy, OAC knowledge, and ad-herence were observed, and these relationships should to be considered by healthprofessionals responsible for monitoring patients who are prescribed anticoagulants.We also observed serious gaps in OAC knowledge. Interventions designed to optimizethe outcomes of anticoagulant treatment need to address these factors.

Item ID:	94312
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1755-5922
Copyright Information:	© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date Deposited:	15 Oct 2026 06:48
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420309 Health management @ 50% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420304 General practice @ 50%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200102 Efficacy of medications @ 50% 20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200310 Primary care @ 50%
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