Anticoagulation Optimization Through a Specialized Center for Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a prevalent condition, which is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Anticoagulation is widely used to mitigate stroke risk but remains underprescribed in certain circumstances. The authors evaluated the performance of a health record database query in identifying patients who may benefit from anticoagulation who did not have an active prescription for anticoagulation. Patient charts were reviewed by primary care providers and reasons for deferral of anticoagulation were provided. A subset of the patients identified were found to not have an appropriate reason for deferring anticoagulation. This initiative ultimately led to an increase in referrals to the center for specialty care of atrial fibrillation.