Abstract
Background: Understanding patients’ satisfaction levels and expectations towards anticoagulant use will guide health professionals to plan treatment and care and improve patient care quality. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the satisfaction level and associated factors among patients using oral anticoagulants in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A observational cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who use oral anticoagulant therapy in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The data collection tool included questions assessing the demographic characteristics of patients and 15 questions modified from the Duke anticoagulation satisfaction scale (DASS).
Results: A total of 106 subjects were accepted to participate in the study. Most participants were female (82.1%) and from Saudi Arabia (96.2%). The participants ranged from 18 to over 75 years, the highest percentage aged from 31 to 55 years (48.1%), and two-thirds of participants were married (69.8%). Only 25.5% of participants were on anticoagulation therapy, and most had been on therapy for 1 year or less (77.4%). The total score of the modified DASS had a median score of 45, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 6. The burdens and hassles, positive impacts, and limitations subscales median (IQR) scores were 5 (6), 29 (15), and 10.50 (10), respectively. The educational level had a significant effect on positive impacts (p-value = 0.023), with participants with less than a university degree reporting higher scores in this subscale than those with higher educational levels.
Conclusion: It was found that participants with lower educational levels reported higher scores in the positive impact subscale. In contrast, those on anticoagulation therapy reported higher burdens and hassles, lower positive impact, and higher limitation scores.

Key words: Anticoagulants, thrombosis, stroke, warfarin, DASS.