Anticoagulants are commonly prescribed to help prevent blood clots, including when people have atrial fibrillation (AF), an abnormal heart rhythm. However, adherence is often poor, and patients may struggle to remember all the information they’re given about their medicine when they leave hospital.

This set of films was created to provide information to patients and their families whenever they need it. They will also be useful to students or trainees who are unfamiliar with how anticoagulants work, or how to answer patients’ common questions about them:

• What atrial fibrillation is
• How anticoagulants work
• How anticoagulants should be taken
• Situations when further medical advice may be needed