Characteristic | Conclusion | Strength of Evidence Rating |
---|---|---|
Meta-Analyzable Characteristics | ||
   Alcohol and drug use | Reduces warfarin use | High |
   Increasing age | Decreased warfarin use at older ages | Moderate |
   Coronary artery disease | No effect in warfarin use | Moderate |
   Congestive heart failure | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Contraindications to warfarin | Reduces warfarin use | High |
   Cerebral vascular accident | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Dementia | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Diabetes | No effect on warfarin use | Low |
   Falls | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Gastrointestinal bleeding | Reduces warfarin use | High |
   History of bleeding | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Hepatic impairment | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Hypertension | No effect on warfarin use | Low |
   Intracranial bleeding | Reduces warfarin use | High |
   Male gender | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Perceived barriers to compliance | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Renal impairment | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
Qualitatively Assessed Characteristics | ||
   Race (African-American or non-White) | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Geographic region (South) | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
   Geographic region (Northeast) | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Malignancy | Equivocal | Insufficient |
   Progressing time | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Specialty of prescriber | Equivocal | Insufficient |
   Insurance status | Equivocal | Insufficient |
   Aspirin or other antiplatelet use | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
Perceived appropriateness of warfarin (appropriate) | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Perceived/actual risk of bleeding | Reduces warfarin use | Moderate |
Admission source (home/outpatient) for AF hospitalization | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
AF frequency (recurrent, persistent, permanent) | Increases warfarin use | Moderate |
   Seizures | No effect on warfarin use | Low |
   Increasing risk of stroke/embolic event | Equivocal | Insufficient |
   Rate of prior healthcare utilization | Equivocal | Insufficient |