Compliance and medication adherence
I understand my disease and know how to handle it. Anticoagulation with Vitamin K antagonist gives me safety. And patient self-testing achieves a better quality of life. But there are some pitfalls in the therapy of anticoagulated patients.
Pitfall No. 1 – Autonomy: What does it mean for us AC-patients?
The right way to be autonomous is to be a critically participating patient having a basic trust in the intentions and competences of my doctor. That means for my good AC-treatment I must comply with protocols and with what the doctor knows best.
Pitfall No. 2– The compliance!
Is it reasonable to enter in anticoagulant treatment and then not to be compliant? I think that in AC-therapy compliance is a must to avoid medical incidents.
Compliance with:
- Intake of anticoagulants regularly
- Perform regular measurements
- Follow instructions for self-dosing
- Adherence to external control
- Visit the AC-clinic if necessary
- Pay attention to the lifestyle
Pitfall No. 3 – The medication adherence
Non-adherence to anticoagulation is a common phenomenon and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. If we accept our disease and believe in the therapy then we have done a big step towards a stable INR. Therefore trusting relationship between us, as anticoagulated patients, and our doctors is essential. Coagulation self-testing (self-management) could be the key to effective patient compliance and better drug adherence.
