Background: Clopidogrel is the most commonly prescribed P2Y12 inhibitor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stent placement, though ticagrelor or prasugrel may be preferred. Medication-related factors may influence selection of therapy.
Objectives: To determine which factors most greatly influence cardiology-provider and patient selection of P2Y12 inhibitor to guide shared-decision making (SDM).
Methods: Single-center study assessed survey responses from 32 cardiology-providers who prescribed and 105 patients who received clopidogrel, prasugrel, or ticagrelor for ACS or stent placement. Respondents ranked factors influencing P2Y12 inhibitor selection and reported preference of therapy. Patients reported experience with shared decision-making process.
Results: Cardiology-providers ranked risk of bleeding, comfort/experience, and cost as most influential. Patients ranked risk of drug interaction, adverse effects, and reduction in myocardial infarction as most influential. Significant differences between cardiology-providers and patients were found for 5 of 8 factors. Cardiology-providers ranked once daily administration (p = 0.01), risk of bleeding (p = 0.002), and cost (p < 0.001) as more important than patients. Patients ranked risk of adverse effects (p = 0.007) and drug interactions (p = 0.005) as more important than cardiology-providers. Cardiology-providers prescribed ticagrelor 42.3% of the time following ACS, though 78.1% ranked it as their preferred agent. Patients were prescribed ticagrelor 9.3% of the time, though 55.7% ranked it as their preferred agent. Use of SDM was reported by 21.6% of patients and 88.5% were unaware that multiple P2Y12 inhibitors existed.
Conclusion: Significant differences exist between cardiology-providers and patients regarding factors influencing P2Y12 inhibitor selection, specifically safety-related factors, once daily administration, and cost. Most patients were not involved in SDM.
Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; decision making; patient preference; physician-patient relations; platelet aggregation inhibitors.