Effectiveness of a Designed Warfarin Teaching Program on Patients’ Knowledge and Incidence of Side Effects

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Medical- Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University

2 Departments of Community and Family Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University

Abstract

Warfarin is one of the high alert medications, therefore, it is vitally to provide patients with
enough knowledge about warfarin therapy in order to ensure patients’ safety and reduce the
incidence of warfarin side effects. Effective patients' education is a central part of the practice of
all health professional because it helps to ensure safe and effective warfarin management. This
study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a designed warfarin teaching program on patients’
knowledge and incidence of side effects. Research design:quasi experimental design (Pre/post
test one group) was used to fulfill the aim of the study. Study Setting: The study was conducted
at Port Said general hospital (inpatient and outpatient) and ALAmabara hospital (outpatient
clinic). Subjects: convenience sample of (44) adult patients with the following inclusion criteria:
a) intended duration of warfarin is more than three months and b) patients able to read and write.
Tools for Data Collection: Two tools were utilized to collect data; Personal data sheet,
andPre/post knowledge assessment questionnaire related to warfarin therapy. Results:
highstatistical significant difference was found in total patients' knowledge scores of the studied
patients as well as loweringincidence of warfarin side effects. In conclusion, the implementation
of a designed warfarin therapy teaching program improved the patients' knowledge as well as the
incidence of warfarin side effects among patients on long life warfarin therapy which lead to
anticoagulation control and quality of life improvement. Recommendation:warfarin therapy
teaching program should be routinely and consistently provide to all patients (inpatient and
outpatient) and replication of the study by using a large probability sample from different setting

Keywords

Egyptian Journal of Health Care
Volume 6, Issue 4
December 2015
Pages 182-192

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