Integrated Management Program Advancing Community Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Overview

Research Question: Among community-based patients with AF, does providing an integrated Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) to providers and patients improve process of care and clinical outcomes, and decrease the healthcare costs and resource utilization over 12 months, as compared to usual care? Intervention: A web-based clinical decision support system, computerizing the Canadian AF clinical guidelines, to support primary care providers and patients in optimizing and standardizing AF care.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common abnormality of cardiac rhythm. It is also a disease of aging, affecting 3% of adults aged \> 45 years and 12% of those aged \> 75. Individually, AF's rapid and irregular heart beat is most frequently perceived as undesirable palpitations, but more threatening impacts are heart failure, catastrophic stroke and premature death. AF also markedly impairs quality of life. Although patients with AF are at increased risk of stroke, death and hospitalization, many patients are not benefiting from evidence-informed, best-care strategies. Gaps have been documented in the knowledge, skills and competencies of primary care clinicians concerning the management of AF in Canada. For example, a large proportion of AF patients at moderate to high risk for stroke do not receive guideline recommended thromboprophylaxis; and of those that do, many are not optimally controlled. One Canadian study also found that in patient with known AF and a prior stroke, who were then admitted with a second stroke, 15% were not on any anticoagulation and only 18% were on warfarin and within the therapeutic range. Opportunities certainly exist to enhance the uptake of the Canadian AF Clinical Practice Guideline recommendations and best-care approaches in the primary care setting. Patients need to be the focus of care services and be actively engaged and empowered to manage their care, with the support of health care providers. We believe that health system efficiency, care quality and patient safety can be enhanced through the use of innovative, integrated, interactive, pro-active and personalized point-of- care solutions targeting both providers and patients. This is the premise for the IMPACT-AF study. Primary care providers and their patients are anticipated to benefit from enhanced use of health information technology regarding the management of patients with AF. A clinical guideline-based decision support system (CDSS) will be developed and tested in primary care settings across Nova Scotia.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (2)

Outcomes