Atrial Fibrillation In General Practice Research Articles

Biomarkers for predicting atrial fibrillation: An explorative sub-analysis of the randomised SCREEN-AF trial

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common treatable risk factor for stroke. Screening for paroxysmal AF in general practice is difficult, but biomarkers might help improve screening strategies. Objectives We investigated six blood biomarkers for predicting paroxysmal AF in general practice. Methods This was a pre-specified sub-study of the SCREEN-AF RCT done in Germany. Between 12/2017-03/2019, we enrolled ambulatory individuals aged 75 years or older with a history of hypertension but without known AF. Participants in the intervention group received active AF screening with a wearable patch, continuous ECG monitoring for 2x2 weeks and usual care in the control group. The primary endpoint was ECG-confirmed AF within six months after randomisation. High-sensitive Troponin I (hsTnI), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP), N-terminal pro atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-ANP), mid-regional pro atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-pro ANP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) plasma levels were investigated at randomisation for predicting AF within six months after randomisation. Results Blood samples were available for 291 of 301 (96.7%) participants, including 8 with AF (3%). Five biomarkers showed higher median results in AF-patients: BNP 78 vs. 41 ng/L (p = 0.012), NT-pro BNP 273 vs. 186 ng/L (p = 0.029), NT-proANP 4.4 vs. 3.5 nmol/L (p = 0.027), MR-pro ANP 164 vs. 125 pmol/L (p = 0.016) and hsTnI 7.4 vs. 3.9 ng/L (p = 0.012). CRP levels were not different between groups (2.8 vs 1.9 mg/L, p = 0.1706). Conclusion Natriuretic peptide levels and hsTnI are higher in patients with AF than without and may help select patients for AF screening, but larger trials are needed.

A pilot study of the quality of care of atrial fibrillation in Irish general practice.

Worldwide, atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in adults and poses a significant burden to patients, physicians, and healthcare systems. We developed a quality of care score based on the Atrial Fibrillation Better Care pathway recommended by the European Society of Cardiology and the European Heart Rhythm Association guidelines. This is a 14-point score that we have termed the MAGIC score(Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Integrated Care and General Practice). The objective of this pilot study was to develop and test a quality of care score for patients with permanent AF in general practice. An observational cross-sectional pilot study was undertaken. Proportionate sampling was used across 11 practices from the Ireland East practice-based research network. The GPs completed a report form on each patient by undertaking a retrospective chart review. Eleven practices participated with a total of 1855 patients with AF. We received data on 153 patients. The main findings were that no patient met all 14 guideline based recommendations. The mean MAGIC score was 11.3. Points were most commonly deducted because the creatinine clearance and HAS-BLED score were not recorded, and the patient was not on the correct dose of oral anti-coagulation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a quality of care score to measure the quality of AF management in general practice. This scoring system, which is based on internationally recognized quality of care markers, highlights key areas that can be targeted with quality improvement intervention.

Pharmacist-led interventions in optimising the use of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation in general practice in England: a retrospective observational study.

Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the mainstay of treatment for the prevention of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) account for increasing OAC in patients with AF. However, prescribing DOACs for patients with established AF poses various challenges and general practice pharmacists may have an important role in supporting their management. To investigate the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions in general practice in optimising the use of OAC therapies in AF. A retrospective observational study in general practices in Bradford. The data were collected retrospectively from 1 November 2018-31 December 2019 using electronic health record data. The data were analysed: 1) to identify patients with AF not on OAC; 2) to describe inappropriate DOAC prescriptions; and 3) to calculate HAS-BLED scores. Overall, 76.3% (n = 470) of patients with AF received OAC therapy, and of these, 63.4% received DOACs. Pharmacist-led interventions increased DOAC prescribing by 6.0% (P = 0.03). Inappropriate DOAC use was identified in 24.5% of patients with AF, with underdosed and overdosed identified in 9.7% and 14.8%, respectively. Post-intervention, inappropriate prescribing was reduced to 1.7%. The mean HAS-BLED score decreased from 3.00 to 2.22 (P<0.01). Successful transition from vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy to DOACs was achieved in 25.7% of patients. Pharmacist-led interventions have successfully improved the use of OAC therapies in patients with AF, and effectively managed the bleeding risks and transition from VKA to DOAC therapy, in line with guidelines.

Direct oral anticoagulants in general practice

Nurses prescribing these medications, used for stoke prevention in atrial fibrillation in general practice, must understand the risks surrounding them. This article outlines indications, side effects and monitoring. Four direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are available in the UK and appear in National guidance as first line treatment for VTE and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. They provide a more practical option than warfarin, with similar efficacy and safety profiles, with the additional advantage of significantly reduced risk of intracranial haemorrhage (Raschi et al 2016). DOACs are not suitable for patients with mechanical heart valves, antiphospholipid syndrome or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. DOACs work by inhibiting a single clotting factor, meaning their effects are more predictable than warfarin which works on several clotting factors. Bleeding is the main side effect and safety consideration of DOACs, with major bleeding occurring in around 1-4% of people taking DOACs ( Hellenbart et al 2017 ). Careful risk assessment, patient counselling and at least annual review of patients on DOACs can help to reduce their associated risks.

Prescriptive behavior of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants in patients affected by atrial fibrillation in general practice

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and in recent years the pharmacological approach has been strongly implemented; in Italy, the prescription of the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) was also extended to General Practitioners (GPs) since 2020. The aim of the present study was to investigate the GPs prescribing behaviour of NOACs. An observational study was performed by using the computerized medical record of 14 GPs in Sicily: patients affected by AF were selected and stratified according to the prescribed antithrombotic drugs. Patients were considered inadequately managed if antithrombotic treatment was not adherent to recent ESC guidelines. A total of 467 (2.7 %) patients were affected by AF, 276 (59.1 %) were treated with an oral anticoagulant (OAC) regardless the high stroke risk (OR 1.64; 95 %CI 0.74–3.62; p = 0.226). The NOAC users were 236 patients as follow: Rivaroxaban 33.5 %, Apixaban 33,1 %, Dabigatran 17,4 %, Edoxaban 16.1 %. In 7 patients an inappropriate NOAC treatment was observed. Among Vitamin-K antagonist users, 25.0 % were considered inappropriate. Patients not treated with OAC were 191, of them 81.7 % were at high stroke risk and did not receive any OAC despite the indication to treat. In addition, the probability to be not properly managed significantly increased in older and in patients with atherosclerosis. Conversely, patients with at least one reported cardiology counselling significantly reduced the likelihood to be not properly managed (OR 0.38, 95 %CI 0.25–0.58; p 0.01). Our results suggest the need to optimize the management of real-life AF patients by improving prescribing adherence to ESC guidelines.

Pattern of oral anticoagulant prescribing for atrial fibrillation in general practice: an observational study in The Netherlands.

In the Dutch atrial fibrillation (AF) guideline for GPs, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are seen as equivalent, while in cardiology there is a preference for DOACs. To describe the pattern of oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescribing for AF by GPs and assess whether GPs proactively convert between VKAs and DOACs in patients with AF. Observational study using routine practice data from 214 general practices, from 2017 until 2019. Patients aged ≥60 years diagnosed with AF, who had been prescribed OACs by their GPs in 2018 were included. A distinction was made between starters, who were participants who did not use OACs in 2017, and prevalent users. It was observed and recorded whether patients switched between VKAs and DOACs. A total of 12 516 patients with AF were included. Four hundred and seventy-six patients (4%) started OACs in 2018; 12 040 patients were prevalent OAC users. When GPs started patients on OACs, DOACs were prescribed the most (88%). Among prevalent users, more than half of the patients used VKAs (60%). GPs switched between OACs for 1% of starters and 0.6% of prevalent users in 2018 and 2019. Dutch GPs predominantly start with DOACs in newly diagnosed patients with AF. Prevalent patients predominantly use VKAs and switching from a DOAC to a VKA is unusual. Consequently, the number of patients using VKAs will decline in the upcoming years. This trend raises questions about the future of organising frequent international normalised ratio (INR) checks for VKA users.

Increasing screening for atrial fibrillation in general practice: the Atrial Fibrillation Self-Screening, Management And guideline-Recommended Therapy (AF Self-SMART) study.

To assess whether atrial fibrillation (AF) self-screening stations in general practice waiting rooms improve AF screening, diagnosis, and stroke risk management. Intervention study (planned duration: twelve weeks) in six New South Wales general practices (two in rural locations, four in greater metropolitan Sydney), undertaken during 28 August 2020 - 5 August 2021. People aged 65 years or more who had not previously been diagnosed with AF, and had appointments for face-to-face GP consultations. People with valvular AF were excluded. AF self-screening station and software, integrated with practice electronic medical record programs, that identified and invited participation by eligible patients, and exported single-lead electrocardiograms and automated evaluations to patients' medical records. Screening rate; incidence of newly diagnosed AF during intervention and pre-intervention periods; prescribing of guideline-recommended anticoagulant medications. Across the six participating practices, 2835 of 7849 eligible patients (36.1%) had face-to-face GP appointments during the intervention period, of whom 1127 completed AF self-screening (39.8%; range by practice: 12-74%). AF was diagnosed in 49 screened patients (4.3%), 44 of whom (90%) had CHA2 DS2 -VA scores of 2 or more (high stroke risk). The incidence of newly diagnosed AF during the pre-intervention period was 11 cases per 1000 eligible patients; during the intervention period, it was 22 per 1000 eligible patients (screen-detected: 17 per 1000 eligible patients; otherwise detected: 4.6 per 1000 eligible patients). Prescribing of oral anticoagulation therapy for people newly diagnosed with AF and high stroke risk was similar during the pre-intervention (20 of 24, 83%) and intervention periods (46 of 54, 85%). AF self-screening in general practice waiting rooms is a feasible approach to increasing AF screening and diagnosis rates by reducing time barriers to screening by GPs. AF self-screening could reduce the number of AF-related strokes. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000233921 (prospective).

Staff acceptability and patient usability of a self-screening kiosk for atrial fibrillation in general practice waiting rooms

BackgroundCurrent Australian and European guidelines recommend opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) among patients ≥65 years, but general practitioners (GPs) report time constraints as a major barrier to achieving this. Patient self-screening stations in GP waiting rooms may increase screening rates and case detection of AF, but the acceptability of patient self-screening from the practice staff perspective, and the usability by patients, is unknown.ObjectiveTo determine staff perspectives on AF self-screening stations and factors impacting acceptability, usability by patients, and sustainability.MethodsWe performed semi-structured interviews with 20 general practice staff and observations of 22 patients while they were undertaking self-screening. Interviews were coded and data analyzed using an iterative thematic analysis approach.ResultsGPs indicated high levels of acceptance of self-screening, and reported little impact on their workflow. Reception staff recognized the importance of screening for AF, but reported significant impacts on their workflow because some patients were unable to perform screening without assistance. Patient observations corroborated these findings and suggested some potential ways to improve usability.ConclusionAF self-screening in GP waiting rooms may be a viable method to increase opportunistic screening by GPs, but the impacts on reception workflow need to be mitigated for the method to be upscaled for more widespread screening. Furthermore, more age-appropriate station design may increase patient usability and thereby also reduce impact on reception workflow.

Detection of atrial fibrillation in primary care with radial pulse palpation, electronic blood pressure measurement and handheld single-lead electrocardiography: a diagnostic accuracy study

ObjectiveTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of three tests—radial pulse palpation, an electronic blood pressure monitor and a handheld single-lead ECG device—for opportunistic screening for unknown atrial fibrillation (AF).DesignWe performed a...

Atrial fibrillation self-screening, management and guideline recommended therapy (AF SELF SMART): improving AF screening in general practice by utilising self-screening stations in GP waiting rooms

Abstract Background Opportunistic screening for silent atrial fibrillation (AF) is recommended to reduce stroke, but screening rates are sub-optimal in Australian general practice (&amp;lt;15%), with practitioners reporting time constraints being the main barrier. Previous AF screening interventions in general practice have not been able to exceed screening rates of ∼34% eligible patients which is sub-optimal for stroke prevention. Purpose To increase the proportion of patients screened for AF in general practice by implementing AF self-screening stations in waiting rooms. Methods We developed and tested an AF self-screening station using a single-lead ECG and app with automated ECG analysis. We also developed customised software which fully integrates the self-screening station with GP medical software and the practice workflow (Figure 1). The system: 1) automatically identifies eligible patients (aged ≥65 years, no AF diagnosis) from the practice appointment diary, and sends an SMS regarding self-screening prior to their appointment; 2) automatically creates individualised patient QR codes, which provided to the patient by the receptionist; 3) the patient then scans QR code and self-screens at station in waiting room; 4) the ECG and result are automatically imported into patient record before the GP consultation. Results Three general practices in New South Wales, Australia, were recruited. Each practice participated for approximately 3-months (between August 2020 and March 2021). During this period 825 patients completed AF self-screening, mean age 74.2 years and 45% male. When expressed as a proportion of the actual eligible patients attending the practice during the study period, the mean proportion screened in practices was 52% (range 38–65%). The device algorithm indicated “Possible AF” in 37/825 patients (4.5%); mean age 77.2 years 43% male. Conclusion An AF self-screening station placed in GP waiting rooms that is integrated with the practice software and workflow may achieve higher screening rates for AF in general practice than standard practice, and therefore contribute to greater reductions in stroke. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Investigator-lead grant from Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer

Patient self-screening stations for atrial fibrillation in general practice waiting rooms: process evaluation

Abstract Background Our previous work has identified factors relevant to general practitioner (GP)-led screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) in Australian general practices, with GPs indicating significant time constraints. AF SELF SMART (Atrial fibrillation self-screening, management and guideline recommended therapy) allows for opportunistic patient self-screening using purpose-built screening stations located in GP waiting rooms (figure 1). It utilises a single-lead ECG, with results automatically imported into the patient medical record for review during the GP consultation. AF SELF SMART may increase screening rates, but acceptability by practice staff is unknown. Purpose Determine staff perspectives on opportunistic self-screening in practice waiting rooms, utilising AF SELF SMART. Method 14 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with practice staff (GPs, receptionists and practice managers) across 3 practices participating in the AF SELF SMART pilot, with thematic analysis of results. Results Several themes were identified. All staff acknowledged the importance of increasing screening for AF in the practice. GPs in particular placed a high value on AF screening for stroke prevention. GPs valued the increased information and accuracy provided by AF SELF SMART, as previously they checked patients for AF using manual methods, either routinely or as clinically indicated. There were differential impacts on workflow. GPs reported some small increase in workload but these were seen as being acceptable given the benefits of the program. Receptionists and Practice Managers reported significant interruptions to normal workflow associated with assisting patients. Receptionists routinely offered patients help with screening instead of patients screening independently. Staff perceived that patients were either unable to negotiate the self-screening process by themselves, or did not want to try. Given the increase in workload associated with assisting patients, and as screening was not receptionists' main priority, not all patients were offered self-screening during busy periods. Patient refusal was also identified as a factor limiting uptake. Conclusion While AF self-screening may increase screening rates, further process improvements are required to reduce impact on reception staff, and enhance the usability of the self-screening station for patients. Such improvements may increase acceptability and ongoing sustainability at a practice level. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Investigator initiated research grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer Alliance Figure 1. Self-screening station

A Heart Rate Monitoring App (FibriCheck) for Atrial Fibrillation in General Practice: Pilot Usability Study.

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke. The current opportunistic screening procedure consists of pulse palpation and an electrocardiogram when an irregular rhythm is found. Smartphone apps that measure heart rhythm could be useful in increasing the detection of AF in a primary care setting.ObjectiveWe conducted a pilot study with the smartphone app FibriCheck to assess whether the introduction of such an app is feasible.MethodsFour general practices across Flanders provided patient data for the study. Inclusion criteria for participants were aged 65 or older and a CHARGE-AF score of at least 10%. We excluded patients with known AF or a pacemaker. Participants were asked to measure at least twice a day with FibriCheck (for at least 14 days). They were provided the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) questionnaire both before and after the study, as well as different surveys concerning their user experience and general perception of technology.ResultsThere were 92 participants (36 women and 56 men). The study population was relatively homogenous concerning risk factors and medication use at baseline. During the study period, 5/86 (6%) participants were found to have AF (6 dropouts). The average study period was 23 days and the average number of measurements per day was 2.1. Patient compliance was variable, but high. On the whole, there were no appreciable changes in quality of life. The overall user experience and satisfaction were very high.ConclusionsFibriCheck is a relatively easy-to-use smartphone app to complement AF screening in primary care. Its implementation in this setting is certainly achievable, and one can expect high rates of patient compliance. Based on these results, a planned cluster randomized trial will be going ahead.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03509493; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03509493

Process Evaluation of Patient Self-screening Stations for Atrial Fibrillation in General Practice Waiting Rooms: Preliminary Results

Previous work has identified factors relevant to general practitioner (GP)-led screening for atrial fibrillation in Australian general practices, with GPs indicating significant time constraints. Integrating self-screening stations into practice waiting rooms may increase screening rates, but acceptability from practice staff is unknown.

Improving the Management of Atrial Fibrillation in General Practice: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the commonest arrhythmias observed in general practice. The thromboembolic complications of AF include transient ischemic attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. Early recognition of AF can lead to early intervention with managing the risks of these complications.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study is to investigate if patients are managed in general practice according to current national guidelines. In addition, the study will evaluate the impact of direct oral anticoagulant use with respect to AF complications in a real-world dataset. The secondary aims of the study are to develop a dashboard that will allow monitoring the management of AF in general practice and evaluate the usability of the dashboard.MethodsThe study was conducted in 2 phases. The initial phase was a quantitative analysis of routinely collected primary care data from the Oxford Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Center (RCGP RSC) sentinel network database. AF cases from 2009 to 2019 were identified. The study investigated the impact of the use of anticoagulants on complications of AF over this time period. We used this dataset to examine how AF was managed in primary care during the last decade. The second phase involved development of an online dashboard for monitoring management of AF in general practice. We conducted a usability evaluation for the dashboard to identify usability issues and performed enhancements to improve usability.ResultsWe received funding for both phases in January 2019 and received approval from the RCGP RSC research committee in March 2019. We completed data extraction for phase 1 in May 2019 and completed analysis in December 2019. We completed building the AF dashboard in May 2019. We started recruiting participants for phase 1 in May 2019 and concluded data collection in July 2019. We completed data analysis for phase 2 in October 2019. The results are expected to be published in the second half of 2020. As of October 2020, the publications reporting the results are under review.ConclusionsResults of this study will provide an insight into the current trends in management of AF using real-world data from the Oxford RCGP RSC database. We anticipate that the outcomes of this study will be used to guide the development and implementation of an audit-based intervention tool to assist practitioners in identifying and managing AF in primary care.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR1-10.2196/21259

Pharmacists detecting atrial fibrillation in general practice: a qualitative focus group study.

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) affects up to 10% of people aged ≥65 years, yet a third of all cases remain undetected. Practice-based pharmacists are in an ideal position to facilitate opportunistic AF screening, while increasing general practice capacity at a time of workforce crisis.AimTo explore the perspectives of three stakeholder groups involved in the ‘Pharmacists Detecting Atrial Fibrillation’ (PDAF) study to elucidate the facilitators and barriers to pharmacist-led AF screening in general practice.Design & settingA qualitative study took place, comprising homogeneous focus groups with stakeholders in Kent, UK.MethodThe stakeholder groups — patients, general practice staff (GPS), and clinical pharmacists (CPs) — were recruited using convenience sampling. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a deductive Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) approach.ResultsTwenty-five patients, four pharmacists, and nine practice staff participated in six focus groups. Three main themes were identified: knowledge and awareness; prioritisation of resources; and environmental considerations. The public’s lack of awareness of AF-related risks and pharmacist-led screening services was highlighted. Practice-based pharmacists were perceived as an underutilised educational resource which, together with novel electrocardiogram devices, enabled convenient access to screening while reducing GPs’ workload. Participants agreed that AF screening should be incorporated into personalised health checks and at-risk groups should be prioritised, such as care home residents. Patients favoured the general practice environment over the community pharmacy where concerns of privacy, staffing, and commercialisation were raised.ConclusionThe findings of this study support the introduction of pharmacist-led AF screening programmes in general practice surgeries. Commissioners should consider the added value of utilising CPs and focus on the delivery of AF screening within an integrated service.

Opportunistic screening versus usual care for diagnosing atrial fibrillation in general practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. AF may be asymptomatic and therefore remain undiagnosed. Devices such as single-lead electrocardiographs (ECGs) may help GPs to diagnose AF. To investigate the yield of opportunistic screening for AF in usual primary care using a single-lead ECG device. A clustered, randomised controlled trial among patients aged ≥65 years with no recorded AF status in the Netherlands from October 2014 to March 2016. Fifteen intervention general practices used a single-lead ECG device at their discretion and 16 control practices offered usual care. The follow-up period was 1 year, and the primary outcome was the proportion of newly diagnosed cases of AF. In total, 17 107 older people with no recorded AF status were eligible to participate in the study. In the intervention arm, 10.7% of eligible patients (n = 919) were screened over the duration of the study year. The rate of newly diagnosed AF was similar in the intervention and control practices (1.43% versus 1.37%, P = 0.73). Screened patients were more likely to have comorbidities, such as hypertension (60.0% versus 48.7%), type 2 diabetes (24.3% versus 18.6%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11.3% versus 7.4%), than eligible patients not screened in the intervention arm. Among patients with newly diagnosed AF in intervention practices, 27% were detected by screening, 23% by usual primary care, and 50% by a medical specialist or after stroke/transient ischaemic attack. Opportunistic screening with a single-lead ECG at the discretion of the GP did not result in a higher yield of newly detected cases of AF in patients aged ≥65 years in the community than usual care. For higher participation rates in future studies, more rigorous screening methods are needed.

Effectiveness of CHA2DS2-VASc based decision support on stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: A cluster randomised trial in general practice

BackgroundGuidelines on atrial fibrillation (AF) recommend the CHA2DS2-VASc rule for anticoagulant decision-making, but underuse exists. We studied the impact of an automated decision support on stroke prevention in patients with AF in a cluster randomised trial in general practice. MethodsIntervention practices were provided with a CHA2DS2-VASc based anticoagulant treatment recommendation. Reference practices provided care as usual. The primary outcome was incidence of ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and/or thromboembolism (TE). Secondary outcomes were bleeding and the proportion of patients on guideline recommended anticoagulant treatment. ResultsIn total, 1129 AF patients were included in the 19 intervention practices and 1226 AF patients in the 19 reference practices. The median age was 77 (interquartile range (IQR) 68–75) years, the median CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.0 (IQR 2.0–5.0). Underuse of anticoagulants in patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2 was 6.6%. After a median follow-up of 2.7 years (IQR 2.3–3.0), the incidence rate per 100 person-years of ischaemic stroke/TIA/TE was 1.96 in the intervention group and 1.42 in the reference group (hazard ratio (HR) 1.3, 95% C.I. 0.8–2.1). No difference was observed in the rate of bleeding (0.79 versus 0.82), or in the underuse (7.2% versus 8.2%) or overuse (8.0% versus 7.9%) of anticoagulation. ConclusionsIn this study in patients with AF in general practice, underuse of anticoagulants was relatively low. Providing practitioners with CHA2DS2-VASc based decision support did not result in a reduction in stroke incidence, affect bleeding risk or anticoagulant over- or underuse.

P6624Implementation of screening for atrial fibrillation in general practice with a single-lead ECG: a cluster randomized controlled trial

P6624Implementation of screening for atrial fibrillation in general practice with a single-lead ECG: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Management of patients with atrial fibrillation in general practice

The lecture presents modern concepts of diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation; principles of choosing the tactics of management of atrial fibrillation in general practice. The epidemiology of atrial fibrillation, risk factors, causes and mechanisms of its development are considered. The classification of atrial fibrillation is given. The tactic of diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is described. The principles of treatment of atrial fibrillation, including the anticoagulant therapy and pharmacological cardioversion, are presented.

The use of a portable three-lead ECG monitor to detect atrial fibrillation in general practice

Objective: To evaluate how well an inexpensive portable three-lead ECG monitor PEM identified patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to a normal 12-lead ECG.Design: Cross-sectional method comparison study.Setting: From April 2014 to February 2015, we included patients coming to the general practice clinic “Lægerne Sløjfen”, Aalborg, Denmark for a routine ECG. Patients with severe dementia, mental illness or poor ECG readings were excluded. After oral and written informed consent an ECG and PEM recordings were obtained simultaneously. The PEM recordings were analyzed by two general practitioners (GPs) in training and ECG recordings were evaluated by a senior GP and a cardiologist. Both the PEM and the ECG recordings were analysed blinded.Subjects: Ninety-three patients were included and four were excluded due to poor ECG readings.Main outcome measures: The sensitivity and specificity of PEM compared to a standard 12-lead ECG.Results: Eighty-nine of the 93 (95.7%) patients had ECGs of a satisfactory technical quality and were included in the study. The sensitivity of diagnosing AF by PEM recordings was 86.7% and the specificity was 98.7% when compared to a 12-lead ECG. According to the cardiologist, the misclassification of three PEM recordings were due to interpretation errors and not related to the PEM recording per se.Conclusions: The inexpensive portable PEM device recording diagnosed AF with a high sensitivity and specificity.KEY POINTSSimple ECG monitors could be useful to identify atrial fibrillation and thereby lead to a better prevention of stroke.The PEM device was easy to use and 95.7% of the recordings were technically acceptable for detecting atrial fibrillation.The PEM device has a high sensitivity and specificity in detecting atrial fibrillation compared to a standard 12-lead ECG.Further studies should evaluate the clinical usefulness of the PEM device, e.g. to detect intermittent atrial fibrillation.