IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i11p6860-d831242.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving Knowledge and Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation through a Community-Based Opportunistic Screening Program: What’s Your Beat?

Author

Listed:
  • Abubakar Ibrahim Jatau

    (School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia)

  • Luke R. Bereznicki

    (School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia)

  • Barbara C. Wimmer

    (School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia)

  • Woldesellassie M. Bezabhe

    (School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia)

  • Gregory M. Peterson

    (School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia)

Abstract

A community-based opportunistic screening program was implemented to (i) improve atrial fibrillation (AF) awareness and detection and (ii) assess the performance of the Microlife WatchBP Home A for detecting AF when used in community screening. Screening sessions were conducted among people aged ≥ 65 years with no history of AF at public events across Tasmania, Australia. Participants with positive screening results were referred to their general medical practitioner for assessment. The device’s performance was assessed using the positive predictive value. A total of 1704 eligible participants were screened at 79 sessions. Of these people, 50 (2.9%) had a positive screening result. The device correctly identified AF in 22 (46.8%) participants with positive results. Among those with subsequently confirmed AF, 6 (27.3%) had a history of AF but were not aware of the diagnosis, and 16 (72.7%) were identified to have previously undiagnosed AF, with an overall prevalence of 0.9% (95% CI, 0.58 to 1.52). Oral anticoagulation therapy was initiated in 12 (87.5%) eligible participants. The positive predictive value of the device was 46.8% (95% CI, 33.3 to 60.7). Given the relatively low performance of the device, its application in community-based opportunistic screening programs for AF is unlikely to be cost-effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Abubakar Ibrahim Jatau & Luke R. Bereznicki & Barbara C. Wimmer & Woldesellassie M. Bezabhe & Gregory M. Peterson, 2022. "Improving Knowledge and Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation through a Community-Based Opportunistic Screening Program: What’s Your Beat?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6860-:d:831242
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6860/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6860/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Iain Willits & Kim Keltie & Joyce Craig & Andrew Sims, 2014. "WatchBP Home A for Opportunistically Detecting Atrial Fibrillation During Diagnosis and Monitoring of Hypertension: A NICE Medical Technology Guidance," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 255-265, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jennifer Summers & James Clinch & Muralikrishnan Radhakrishnan & Andy Healy & Viktoria McMillan & Elizabeth Morris & Tiago Rua & Mercy Ofuya & Yanzhong Wang & Paul Dimmock & Cornelius Lewis & Janet Pe, 2015. "The geko™ Electro-Stimulation Device for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: A NICE Medical Technology Guidance," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 135-147, April.
    2. Ailish Higgins & Matthew Glover & Yaling Yang & Susan Bayliss & Catherine Meads & Joanne Lord, 2014. "EXOGEN Ultrasound Bone Healing System for Long Bone Fractures with Non-Union or Delayed Healing: A NICE Medical Technology Guidance," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 477-484, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6860-:d:831242. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.