Healthcare system characteristics (main analysis set)
| Cohort A (switched from VKA to dabigatran) | Cohort B (newly initiated on dabigatran or a VKA) | |||
| Total (n=4100) | Dabigatran (n=3179) | VKA (n=2186) | Total (n=5365) | |
| Specialty of the treating physician, n (%) | ||||
| Cardiologist | 3230 (78.8) | 2682 (84.4) | 1935 (88.5) | 4617 (86.1) |
| General practitioner | 96 (2.3) | 82 (2.6) | 27 (1.2) | 109 (2.0) |
| Internist | 607 (14.8) | 202 (6.4) | 90 (4.1) | 292 (5.4) |
| Neurologist | 153 (3.7) | 198 (6.2) | 126 (5.8) | 324 (6.0) |
| Other | 14 (0.3) | 15 (0.5) | 8 (0.4) | 23 (0.4) |
| Healthcare reimbursement status, n (%) | ||||
| Partially reimbursed | 490 (12.0) | 26 (10.3) | 342 (15.6) | 668 (12.5) |
| Private pay | 1430 (34.9) | 1614 (50.8) | 1018 (46.6) | 2632 (49.1) |
| Reimbursed | 2153 (52.5) | 1197 (37.7) | 808 (37.0) | 2005 (37.4) |
| Other | 27 (0.7) | 42 (1.3) | 18 (0.8) | 60 (1.1) |
VKA, vitamin K antagonist.