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Program for the Identification of "Actionable" Atrial Fibrillation in the Family Practice Setting

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Atrial Fibrillation
Interventions
Other: 30 Second Pulse Check
Device: Watch BP Home A
Device: HeartCheck Hand-held ECG device
Registration Number
NCT02262351
Lead Sponsor
Population Health Research Institute
Brief Summary

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke. The identification and treatment of AF is one of the best way to prevent stroke. The problem is that because AF may cause minimal symptoms, it often goes undetected before a patient suffers a stroke. Also, it is known that as many as half of all patients with known AF may not be receiving appropriate anticoagulation for their condition. New technologies are making it possible to improve AF detection. Subjects in this study will be screened for AF using three simple methods: a 30-second pulse check, a hand-held single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) device and a blood pressure monitor with built-in AF screening capabilities. If more patients with AF can be detected, more patients will be able to receive guideline-recommended anticoagulant therapy, and more strokes, deaths, disability, and dementia will be prevented.

Detailed Description

Participants will be screened for AF using three simple methods (pulse check, single-lead ECG, blood pressure machine with automated AF detection algorithms). Subjects screening positive on any test will attend for a 12-lead ECG within 24 h. For all patients with AF detected, clinical characteristics and medications will be compared at baseline and 90±14 days later.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
2174
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age ≥65 years.
  2. Attending their usual Primary Care Clinic.
  3. Provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Patients considered by the Investigator to be unsuitable for study follow-up because the patient:

    1. is unreliable concerning the follow-up schedule
    2. cannot be contacted by telephone
    3. has a life expectancy less than the anticipated study duration due to concomitant disease.
  2. Presence of an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator.

  3. Inability to have a BP cuff applied.

  4. Documented significant allergy to ECG electrode adhesive.

  5. Previously screened as part of this study.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Screening30 Second Pulse CheckSubjects will undergo three screening methods for atrial fibrillation: 30 Second Pulse Check Watch BP Home A HeartCheck Hand-held ECG device
ScreeningHeartCheck Hand-held ECG deviceSubjects will undergo three screening methods for atrial fibrillation: 30 Second Pulse Check Watch BP Home A HeartCheck Hand-held ECG device
ScreeningWatch BP Home ASubjects will undergo three screening methods for atrial fibrillation: 30 Second Pulse Check Watch BP Home A HeartCheck Hand-held ECG device
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Performance of screening testsBaseline visit

The sensitivity and specificity of SL-ECG and BP-AF will be separately compared with that of pulse palpation alone using McNemar's method. This method can be used when only those subjects screening positive attend for confirmatory testing (12-lead ECG ± Holter monitor). A 2-sided alpha of 0.025 will be used to allow for multiple comparisons. A further analysis will be performed using the SL-ECG data as the gold standard. To ensure adequate diagnostic quality, this analysis will only be performed if 5% or less of the overall SL-ECG tracings are deemed "uninterpretable". A bipolar ECG interpreted by a cardiologist has a reported 99% sensitivity and 96% specificity for the diagnosis of AF. If this exploratory analysis is performed it will enable estimation of the sensitivity and specificity of the pulse-check and BP-AF device.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Death rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days
Time taken for each screening testBaseline
Cost-effectiveness measures based on each screening test and their potential impact on stroke and other clinical endpoints90 days
Screener and patient experiences with the different screening methods, assessed by satisfaction questionnaire.90 days
Cost of each method per case of actionable AF detected90 days
Relationship between CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores and prescription rates for OACs at 90±14 days.90 days
Number needed to screen to detect one case of AF, in relation to demographic and clinical characteristics (gender, age, comorbidities).90 days
Prescription rates at 90±14 days for oral anticoagulant agents (OACs) and drugs for control of heart rate and/or rhythm for patients with actionable AF90 days
Resting heart rate & BP at baseline and 90±14 days for patients with newly diagnosed AF.90 days
Stroke or transient ischemic attack rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days
Systemic embolism rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days
Myocardial infarction rate rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days
Significant bleeding rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days
Hospitalization due to heart failure rate for each case of actionable AFib identified90 days

Trial Locations

Locations (19)

Women's College Hospital

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Crowfoot Village Family Practice

🇨🇦

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Foothills Family Medical Centre

🇨🇦

Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada

Abbottsfield Medical Centre

🇨🇦

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Alta Clinical Research

🇨🇦

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Peaks to Prairies PCN

🇨🇦

Olds, Alberta, Canada

Edmonton Oliver PCN

🇨🇦

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Queen's Family Health Team

🇨🇦

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Hamilton Medical Clinic

🇨🇦

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

SKDS Research Inc

🇨🇦

Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Ken Ng Family Practice / Total Health Management

🇨🇦

Markham, Ontario, Canada

Kirkfield Medical Centre

🇨🇦

Kirkfield, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Mark Robertson Family Practice

🇨🇦

Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

The Port Arthur Clinic Research Program

🇨🇦

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mount Dennis Weston Health Centre

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Village Health Centre

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sameh Fikry Medicine Professional Corporation

🇨🇦

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Smith Clinic, Camrose PCN

🇨🇦

Camrose, Alberta, Canada

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