Health Education about Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Community-Based Cluster Randomized Trial: Rheumatic Heart Disease Educational Strategies.

Introduction: The burden of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is still high in Brazil. Lack of population awareness about the disease limits the efficacy of prevention programs. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of education on RHD in schools, comparing the conventional expository teaching method with tablet-based worked examples.

Impact of incorporating echocardiographic screening into a clinical prediction model to optimise utilisation of echocardiography in primary care.

Introduction: Access to public subspecialty healthcare is limited in underserved areas of Brazil, including echocardiography (echo). Long waiting lines and lack of a prioritisation system lead to diagnostic lag and may contribute to poor outcomes. We developed a prioritisation tool for use in primary care, aimed at improving resource utilisation, by predicting those at highest risk of having an abnormal echo, and thus in highest need of referral.

Cost-Effectiveness of Rheumatic Heart Disease Echocardiographic Screening in Brazil: Data from the PROVAR+ Study: Cost-effectiveness of RHD screening in Brazil.

Introduction: In recent years, new technologies - noticeably ultra-portable echocardiographic machines - have emerged, allowing for Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) early diagnosis. We aimed to perform a cost-utility analysis to assess the cost-effectiveness of RHD screening with handheld devices in the Brazilian context.

Methods: A Markov model was created to assess the cost-effectiveness of one-time screening for RHD in a hypothetical cohort of 11-year-old socioeconomically disadvantaged children, comparing the intervention to standard care using a public perspective and a 30-year time horizon.

Atrial fibrillation detection with a portable device during cardiovascular screening in primary care.

Introduction: A novel handheld dual-electrode stick is a portable atrial fibrillation (AF) screening device (AFSD). We evaluated AFSD performance in primary care patients referred for echocardiogram (echo).

Methods: The AFSD has a light indication of irregular rhythm and single-lead ECG recording.