Date of this Version

11-29-2022

Document Type

DNP Project

Abstract

Abstract

Background: It is reported that more than 795,000 people in the United States suffer from stroke, and almost 87% suffer from ischemic strokes. Stroke impacts the patient's condition causing adverse effects such as paralysis, weakness, lack of proper balancing, excessive fatigue, and pain, affecting the quality of life. Atrial fibrillation is the leading cause of strokes, and they are usually provided with anticoagulant therapy, which helps prevent blood clots. However, the patient faces difficulty adhering to the treatment process, resulting in stroke and recurrent hospitalization. This quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to improve the Knowledge of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation to help Adherence to Use Anticoagulation to Reduce Stroke Risk in the inpatient setting.

Methods: A survey was designed for the pre-and post-intervention. The survey consisted of 4 demographic and 21 knowledge questions on knowledge and treatment of atrial fibrillation and patient knowledge about the importance of anticoagulation. Fourteen participants completed the pre-survey, the educational session, and the post-survey. A 15-minute evidence-based educational session was conducted in the inpatient setting. The survey results indicated improvement in the knowledge question responses after the 15-minute educational session. Knowledge scores from the pre-and post-survey were compared, which were statistically significant. It is reinforced that an educational intervention can improve the knowledge of the importance of anticoagulation in stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation can be improved.

Results: Knowledge scores from the pre- and post-surveys were compared, which were statistically significant based on the p-value.

Conclusion: These findings indicated that educating patients with atrial fibrillation on the importance of anticoagulation in healthcare can decrease their stroke risk.

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