As the pharmaceutical industry advances towards more patient-focused product development, it is well recognized that meaningful patient engagement is required for the authentic patient voice to inform research and regulatory decisions. However, for this to happen systematically and consistently across the industry, there is still a need to evaluate and communicate the value of patient engagement to all stakeholders. Evaluating engagement also informs process improvement, elevating the value further.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) often have concomitant long-term conditions that negatively impact their quality of life and the clinical management they receive. The AFFIRMO study aimed to identify the needs, quality performance indicators (QPIs), and outcomes relevant to patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to improve the care of patients with AF.
Methods: An on-line survey to collect the key needs, QPIs, and outcomes relevant to patients with AF, their caregivers and HCPs, was distributed between May 2022 and January 2023 in five countries (UK, Italy, Denmark, Romania and Spain).
JACC Clin Electrophysiol
November 2024
Background: Most clinical trials define successful atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment as no AF episodes longer than 30 seconds. Yet, there has been minimal study of how patients define successful treatment and whether their perspectives align with trial outcomes.
Objectives: Survey patients with AF to identify: 1) what aspect of AF is most important to address (frequency, duration, or severity of AF episodes); 2) what AF burden would be considered acceptable to consider treatment successful; and 3) to establish patient preferences for successful treatment thresholds for a validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) score.
Background: People with multimorbidity are increasingly engaged, enabled, and empowered to take responsibility for managing their health status. The purpose of the study was to systematically review and appraise the psychometric properties of tools measuring patient engagement in adults with multimorbidity and their applicability for use within engagement programs.
Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycInfo were searched from inception to 1 July 2021.
Introduction: There is a lack of evidence that the benefits of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) outweigh the harms. Following the completion of the Screening for Atrial Fibrillation with ECG to Reduce stroke (SAFER) pilot trial, the aim of the main SAFER trial is to establish whether population screening for AF reduces incidence of stroke risk.
Methods And Analysis: Approximately 82 000 people aged 70 years and over and not on oral anticoagulation are being recruited from general practices in England.
Stroke prevention is crucial for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and several risk factors have been identified, which increase the risk of AF-related stroke. Among these factors, female sex has been repeatedly associated with AF-related stroke risk; nonetheless, trends toward lower use of oral anticoagulant in women with AF were also reported. In this clinical focus, we discuss about the role of female sex as a risk factor for AF-related stroke, and reflect on the clinical implications of its inclusion among the risk factors for thromboembolic risk stratification in patients with AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The GARFIELD-AF tool is a novel risk tool that simultaneously assesses the risk of all-cause mortality, stroke or systemic embolism, and major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
Aim: To validate the GARFIELD-AF tool using UK primary care electronic records.
Design And Setting: A retrospective cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) linked with Hospital Episode Statistics data and Office for National Statistics mortality data.
Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of recruiting participants diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking oral anticoagulation therapies (OATs) and recently experiencing a bleed to collect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) information.
Design: Observational feasibility study. The study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting participants with minor and major bleeds, the most appropriate route for recruitment and the appropriateness of the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) selected for collecting HRQoL information in AF patients, and the preferred format of the surveys.
Introduction: Diagnosing underlying arrhythmia in emergency department (ED) syncope patients is difficult. There is a evidence that diagnostic yield for detecting underlying arrhythmia is highest when cardiac monitoring devices are applied early, ideally at the index visit. This strategy has the potential to change current syncope management from low diagnostic yield Holter to higher yield ambulatory monitoring, reduce episodes of syncope, reduce risk of recurrence and its potential serious consequences, reduce hospital admissions, reduce overall health costs and increase quality of life by allowing earlier diagnosis, treatment and exclusion of clinically important arrhythmias.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia associated with 30% of strokes, as well as other cardiovascular disease, dementia and death. AF meets many criteria for screening, but there is limited evidence that AF screening reduces stroke. Consequently, no countries recommend national screening programmes for AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe technological evolution and widespread availability of wearables and handheld ECG devices capable of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF), and their promotion directly to consumers, has focused attention of health care professionals and patient organizations on consumer-led AF screening. In this Frontiers review, members of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration provide a critical appraisal of this rapidly evolving field to increase awareness of the complexities and uncertainties surrounding consumer-led AF screening. Although there are numerous commercially available devices directly marketed to consumers for AF monitoring and identification of unrecognized AF, health care professional-led randomized controlled studies using multiple ECG recordings or continuous ECG monitoring to detect AF have failed to demonstrate a significant reduction in stroke.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The association between ideal cardiovascular health (ICVH) status and atrial fibrillation or flutter (AFF) diagnosis has been less studied compared to other cardiovascular diseases.
Objective: To analyze the association between AFF diagnosis and ICVH metrics and scores in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).
Methods: This study analyzed data from 13,141 participants with complete data.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is increasingly a fundamental component of the diagnostic pathway across a range of conditions. Historically, the presence of a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) has been a contraindication for MRI, however, development of devices that can be scanned under strict protocols has facilitated the provision of MRI for patients. Additionally, there is growing safety data to support MR scanning in patients with CIEDs that do not have MR safety labelling or with CIEDs where certain conditions are not met, where the clinical justification is robust.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Oral anticoagulation therapies (OATs) are often prescribed in conjunction with medications to restore normal heart rate rhythm which can limit the risk of an atrial fibrillation (AF) related stroke and systemic thromboembolism. However, they are associated with the serious side effect of bleeding. Both clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (CRNMB) and major bleeding while anticoagulated are believed to have a significant impact on patient quality of life (QoL).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Orthostatic syncope (transient loss of conscious when standing-fainting) is common and negatively impacts quality of life. Many patients with syncope report experiencing fatigue, sometimes with "brain fog", which may further impact their quality of life, but the incidence and severity of fatigue in patients with syncope remain unclear. In this systematic review, we report evidence on the associations between fatigue and conditions of orthostatic syncope.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDigital technology is now an integral part of medicine. Tools for detecting, screening, diagnosis, and monitoring health-related parameters have improved patient care and enabled individuals to identify issues leading to better management of their own health. Wearable technologies have integrated sensors and can measure physical activity, heart rate and rhythm, and glucose and electrolytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a growing public health epidemic. In the UK, over 1.3 million people have a diagnosis of AF and an estimated 400,000 remain undiagnosed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To explore the attitudes towards implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) deactivation and initiation of deactivation discussions among patients, relatives and clinicians.
Design: A multiphase qualitative study consisting of in situ hospital ICD clinic observations, and semistructured interviews of clinicians, patients and relatives. Data were analysed using a constant comparative approach.
The World Heart Federation (WHF) commenced a Roadmap initiative in 2015 to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease and resultant burgeoning of healthcare costs. Roadmaps provide a blueprint for implementation of priority solutions for the principal cardiovascular diseases leading to death and disability. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of these conditions and is an increasing problem due to ageing of the world's population and an increase in cardiovascular risk factors that predispose to AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Intern Med
December 2020
Aim: A variety of consumer-facing wearables, devices and apps are marketed directly to consumers to detect atrial fibrillation (AF). However, their management is not defined. Our aim was to explore their role for AF screening via a survey.
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