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About a decade ago, physicians were surveyed about their attitudes regarding the use of anticoagulation in patients with AFib.[65] The physicians were given scenarios to determine how they would prescribe anticoagulants for various patients, and they were asked about their prescribing habits. As noted in the Figure, the physicians reported that they perceived the risks of treatment to be far greater than the benefits, and overall the physicians overestimated the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage caused by anticoagulant therapy by up to 10-fold.[65] It has also been reported that general practitioners are more hesitant to prescribe anticoagulation than specialists,[66] and in another report, physicians who had utilized warfarin and had a good experience with it were far more likely to continue using oral anticoagulation.[67]
Rothman SA. Am J Med 2013; 126: 00-00.
[65] Gross CP, Vogel EW, Dhond AJ, et al. Factors influencing physicians' reported use of anticoagulation therapy in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional survey. Clin Ther. 2003;25:1750-1764.
[66] Beyth RJ, Antani MR, Covinsky KE, et al. Why isn't warfarin prescribed to patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation? J Gen Intern Med. 1996;11:721-728.
[67] Peterson GM, Boom K, Jackson SL, Vial JH. Doctors' beliefs on the use of antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation: identifying barriers to stroke prevention. Intern Med J. 2002;32:15-23.