Validation of Predictors of OAC Initiation Using EMR Data

The objectives of this study are, first, to identify select clinical covariates from electronic medical records (EMR) that might be associated with initiation of oral anticoagulant medications (dabigatran or warfarin) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) at risk for stroke; second, to quantify the association between EMR-based clinical characteristics and patterns of insurance claims; third, to assess the potential for unmeasured confounding in dabigatran vs warfarin comparative effectiveness and safety studies based on administrative claims databases.