HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND RELATED FACTORS OF OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING WARFARIN THERAPY AT TWO HOSPITALS, BANGKOK, THAILAND

HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND RELATED FACTORS OF OUTPATIENTS UNDERGOING WARFARIN THERAPY AT TWO HOSPITALS

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors impacting outpatients (n = 206) receiving at least 6-month warfarin treatment at Rajavithi Hospital and Prasat Neurological Institute, Bangkok from September 2019 and April 2020 employing a Thai EQ-5D-5L, a generic measure of HRQoL, personal and health questionnaires, and patients’ medical records. Median (interquartile range) of utility (EQ index) and visual analogue (EQ VAS) score was 0.94 (0.87-0.97) and 80 (70-90) respectively. Patients with lower HRQoL score were ?60 years of age, lived with spouse, completed at most primary school, unemployed, had a monthly income of ?10,000 THB (USD330), received warfarin therapy ?3 years, and had hypertension. In addition, patients receiving varying dosages of warfarin, taking ?5 medications and with a history of bleeding had poorer HRQoL scores. In conclusion, outpatients on warfarin therapy attending two hospitals in Bangkok had overall good EQ index and EQ VAS scores, with the multifactorial causes of poorer HRQoL identified. These findings should lead to development of programs to improve HRQoL of those affected patients.