Geographic variation in clinical outcomes and anticoagulation among medicare beneficiaries with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Oral anticoagulants (OACs) have been used to prevent stroke/systemic embolism (SE) among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). To evaluate baseline clinical characteristics, incidence rates of stroke/SE and hospitalization for bleeding, and OAC use among elderly patients with NVAF in the US by geographic region. Patients with NVAF were selected from the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claims database (01JAN2013-31DEC2016). Twelve months of health plan enrollment was required before and after the NVAF diagnosis to evaluate baseline characteristics and outcomes, respectively. Each patient was assigned to a 3-digit zip code based on their primary residence, and geographic variation was visualized using ArcGIS Pro software. Over 2.8 million patients with NVAF were identified. Large geographic variation was observed in clinical characteristics, stroke/SE, hospitalization for bleeding, and OAC use among patients across the US. The zip codes with the highest mean CHA2DS2–VASc scores and frequency of prior bleeding also had the highest incidence of stroke/SE and hospitalization for bleeding. Across 3-digit zip codes, 35–63% of patients were untreated. Overall, the incidence of stroke/SE and hospitalization for bleeding were higher and OAC treatment was less frequent in zip codes located in the Southern US. Baseline clinical characteristics, incidence rates of stroke/SE and hospitalization for bleeding, and OAC usage vary considerably by 3-digit zip code in the US. The additional granularity provided in this study may help clinicians to identify small regions with high-risk of stroke/SE and hospitalization for bleeding and low use of OAC that may benefit from targeted care strategies.