This course, accredited by UCL, is designed to develop the confidence and the competence of community and hospital based healthcare professionals (HCPs) to allow them to make sound, patient-centred clinical decisions to safely manage oral anticoagulant therapy. The material available online is supplemented with a forum that provides learners with the opportunity to discuss the material viewed, to share and debate best practice, and to develop support networks for the future. Highly-skilled mentors provide local support and skills-based learning.
After completing this CPD course, the learner will be able to:
- Describe how blood clots and how anticoagulant agents – vitamin K antagonists, heparin, antiplatelet agents and the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) – affect blood clotting
- Summarise the indications for anticoagulant therapy
- Relate how the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodymanic principles of vitamin K antagonists are used to achieve and maintain anticoagulation control.
- Apply an understanding of the effects of other medication and dietary & lifestyle changes to response to treatment
- Describe the side effect profile of warfarin
- Demonstrate competence in dosing patients, in both the initiation of therapy and in maintenance therapy
- Describe the advantages of computerised decision support systems (CDSS) for warfarin dose management and their limitations
- Demonstrate competence in using dosing algorithms to manage warfarin therapy
- Demonstrate competence in a patient-centred approach to educating those taking oral anticoagulants – vitamin K antagonists and NOACs
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different models of anticoagulation management
- Describe the operational processes and the practicalities of running a clinic
- Describe the requirements of clinical governance for anticoagulation management, including the application of audit tools with performance indicators
- Demonstrate the ability to use a near-patient testing coagulometer.
Download a slide deck with more information.
