Description of self-care behaviours in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulant therapy: a scoping review

Aim: The primary aim of this scoping review was to explore and categorise the medication-related self-care behaviours exhibited by patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who are on oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy. Methods and results: A scoping review was performed, and the systematic search of the literature yielded an initial 887 records. After deduplication and screening, 61 studies were included in the analysis, ranging from 2003 to 2023. The studies represented a wide geographical distribution and diverse methodologies. The results identified 16 self-care behaviours: a higher focus of the included literature on self-care monitoring (60.65% of studies), followed by self-care management and self-care maintenance (each 16.39%). These behaviours ranged from regular blood testing to consulting healthcare providers and lifestyle changes. The results also highlighted the relationship between treatment satisfaction, self-efficacy, and adherence. Several studies emphasised the critical role of healthcare providers in influencing medication adherence. Furthermore, patient knowledge, quality of life, and psychological factors were identified as key elements affecting self-care behaviours. Conclusion: The review provides a comprehensive landscape of medication-related self-care behaviors among NVAF patients on OAC therapy. It underscores the predominance of self-care monitoring behaviours and the critical roles of healthcare providers, psychological factors, and patient knowledge in influencing these behaviours. The findings also highlight the necessity for an integrated, patient-centred approach to improving self-care and self-management in OAC treatment. Future research should focus on addressing the identified gaps, including the relative lack of studies on lifestyle modification, emotional well-being, and technology-assisted interventions. Registration: This review is part of a broader project and is documented at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05820854).