Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-12-2021

Publication Title

Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Volume

33

Issue

12

First page number:

1307

Last page number:

1313

Abstract

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia affecting more than six million people in the United States. The economic burden is estimated to be >$6 billion annually with catastrophic events dramatically increasing expenditure. When patients experience symptoms, they commonly present to an acute care facility; this can be costly and anxiety provoking. Local problem: Same-day access issues prohibit patients from communicating directly with their cardiology provider, forcing them to use resources and increasing psychological burden.Methods:A convenience sample, made up of 43 patients, was given a KardiaMobile device. Eligible patients had ≥2 AF-related emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) visits over 12 months, needed rate control with medication titration, or were monitored for AF reoccurrence after reestablishing sinus rhythm.Interventions:Patients emailed recordings daily and when experiencing symptoms. The recordings were reviewed by a nurse practitioner (NP); abnormal readings were followed by a phone call, telehealth, or in-person visit. Results: An independently designed survey was conducted online; almost all respondents (97%) found value in the project and the device. Virtually all respondents (97%) felt that the program improved access. A majority (86%) reported decreased anxiety. Had the respondents not been in the program, 34% indicated that they would have presented to an ED and 25% would have presented to an UC, realizing a cost savings of $81,950 in reduced ED visits alone. Conclusion: A personal electrocardiogram, with NP oversight, to manage AF is cost-effective and reduces unnecessary resource utilization. It is patient centered, improves access, and empowers patients to manage their symptoms.

Keywords

Ambulatory ECG; Atrial fibrillation; Cardiac arrhythmia; Remote patient monitoring

Disciplines

Cardiology | Environmental Health

File Format

pdf

File Size

346 KB

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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