Value of hospital anticoagulation stewardship programme: A systematic review

Background

The use of anticoagulant medications is complex and prone to inappropriate prescribing that impacts patient safety. Anticoagulation stewardship is a growing field that requires more focus and attention.

Aim

This review aimed to retrieve and synthesise the available research studies on the clinical and economic value of Anticoagulation Stewardship Programmes (ASPs) in line with the Anticoagulation Forum Core Elements of Anticoagulation Stewardship.

Methods

A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted using three databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase and PubMed) from inception up to and including January 2023. Inclusion criteria were primary research studies where the purpose of the study was any hospital ASP intervention applicable to optimising antithrombotic drug use, across all anticoagulation medications and in adult hospital inpatients.

Results

A total of 787 records were identified after duplicates were removed. Twenty-eight papers were included in this review. Twenty-four of these studies were single-centre studies; four of these studies were multi-centre studies. Eleven studies took a prospective approach, fifteen took a retrospective approach and two were quasi-experimental studies. Interventions implemented by either multidisciplinary ASP teams or pharmacist-led anticoagulation services included the provision of education to healthcare professionals and patients, undertaking medication reviews and implementing guidelines and protocols, and interventions to facilitate transitions of care. Clinical benefits to patients and cost savings were observed across many studies.

Conclusion

Implementing multidisciplinary ASP teams and pharmacist-led anticoagulation services is associated with an overall improvement in the safe use of anticoagulation among hospital patients. Studies identified incorporated some of the core elements of ASP, however further work and research are necessary to standardise the adoption and implementation of ASP and ensure that it is prioritised among healthcare professionals, in the healthcare setting, and among health systems and policy-makers.