Patient education on extended anticoagulation pros and cons: a journey app in venous thromboembolism

After the initial treatment of three months in patients with venous thromboembolism, duration of anticoagulant treatment should be decided by weighing bleeding risk on treatment versus recurrence risk without treatment, taking into account the patient’s preferences. To enable true shared decision-making regarding duration of anticoagulation, patient education is important. However, studies have shown that patients remember less than half of what is said during a consultation. Targeted information about VTE and (extended) anticoagulation treatment with the ‘patient journey app’ on a daily basis in the week preceding the hospital visit might lead to better patient education and thus improve shared decision-making. Our hypothesis is that this will improve patient satisfaction with care, information and their level of knowledge and reduce their decisional conflict.

Our hypothesis is that patients whom receive targeted information about VTE and (extended) anticoagulation treatment with the 'patient journey app' on a daily basis in the week preceding their hospital visit will be more satisfied with the received care, information and their level of knowledge, will experience less decisional conflict and will be more involved in the decision-making process.

Patients will receive a questionnaire 7-10 days and 1-2 days before and 1 day after their scheduled appointment at the outpatient clinic. Treating physician (internist or resident) will receive a questionnaire 1 day after the patient's visit.

Patients that are randomized in the intervention group will receive the 'patient journey app'. This smartphone/tablet app will provide information on VTE and (extended) anticoagulation treatment on a daily basis in the week before their hospital visit after 3 months of anticoagulant therapy.