178 Implementation of a Warfarin Patient Self-Management Program in Patients on Chronic Warfarin Therapy

Introduction: Warfarin is a high-risk medication that requires frequent monitoring and evaluation of International Normalized Ratios (INRs) to ensure safety and efficacy. As such, managing warfarin therapy in the outpatient setting has historically placed a significant resource burden on healthcare systems. In contrast, warfarin patient self-management (PSM) allows patients to self-adjust their warfarin doses based on INR results using an algorithm or similar decision support tool. Studies show that warfarin PSM can reduce thromboembolic events and all-cause mortality, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce resource utilization for healthcare providers; however, despite its success in clinical trials and endorsement by evidence-based guidelines, the use of warfarin PSM in the United States (U.S.) remains low.