Rivaroxaban and medication adherence – A cohort study (RIVA): Qualitative results

Rivaroxaban, a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), does not involve laboratory monitoring. This would seem to be an advantage for patients, but there are also disadvantages. The understanding of patients’ perceptions and experiences in DOACs self-management for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is missing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ perceptions of and experiences with rivaroxaban for DVT in a real-world clinical setting. In depth, individual, face-to-face, interviews were performed. An interview guide was developed and used to perform the interviews. The collected data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Thirty-one patients agreed to participate. The analysis highlighted 9 main themes, and 3 of them were cited by all 31 patients: a) integration of the treatment into patients’ lives (easy integration, medication intake associated with a meal, some flexibility with regard to rivaroxaban intake schedule, taking rivaroxaban twice a day vs. once a day, and intentional nonadherence for two patients), b) treatment’s perception (no alternative choice to taking the treatment), positive aspects, such as treatment efficacy and small tablet size, and acceptable treatment duration, c) understanding (the risks associated with the disease and treatment), questioning the treatment, and needing information (about side effects, interactions, risks and risk management). The integration of rivaroxaban into patients’ lives was easy, and the overall impression about the medication was positive. Although patients said they had received sufficient information by healthcare professionals, some patients mentioned doubts and unresolved questions.