Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Old and Frail Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: The Advantages of an Anticoagulation Service

Despite the recent advancements, oral anticoagulation is still challenging in some patients and this is the case for old and frail patients. The large majority of frail patients with atrial fibrillation should receive anticoagulation since the associated benefits outweigh the risk of bleeding. A multidisciplinary consensus document on the use and prescription of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in older and frail patients with atrial fibrillation has been recently published. In this manuscript we provide a comment on this document and add insights into the management of these patients. The new DOAC age had imposed a paradigm shift in the management of patients with the need for clinically-oriented services rather than laboratory-oriented services. In this paper we provide tools for a structured patient-oriented DOACs treatment service supported by a multidisciplinary approach.