Design of the Dutch multicentre study on opportunistic screening of geriatric patients for atrial fibrillation using a smartphone PPG app: the Dutch-GERAF study.

Background: Screening of high-risk patients is advocated to achieve early detection and treatment of clinical atrial fibrillation (AF). The Dutch-GERAF study will address two major issues. Firstly, the effectiveness and feasibility of an opportunistic screening strategy for clinical AF will be assessed in frail older patients and, secondly, observational data will be gathered regarding the efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulation (OAC).

The Use of Oral Anticoagulation Is Not Independently Associated with Mortality in Frail Older Patients with Repeated Falls.

Background: Particularly in frail patients, anticoagulation may be underused because of the fear of bleeding.

Objective: To determine whether the use of antithrombotic medication is an independent risk factor for mortality in frail elderly with repeated falls.

Methods: All patients aged 65 years or older at the Fall and Syncope Clinic were eligible.

Health economic evaluation of nation-wide screening programmes for atrial fibrillation in the Netherlands.

Aims: Screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) is recommended by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines to prevent strokes. Cost-effectiveness analyses of different screening programmes for AF are difficult to compare because of varying settings and models used. We compared the impact and cost-effectiveness of various AF screening programmes in the Netherlands.