Atrial fibrillation and stroke in the older person

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-120
Author(s):  
David Mangion

‘Atrial fibrillation and stroke in the older person’ (AF) examines this devastating condition that mainly affects older people. Despite the recent introduction of effective and safer anticoagulants, a significant proportion of older people do not receive appropriate stroke prophylaxis. It describes the incidence, epidemiology, risk factors of AF in older people, mechanisms of stroke in AF, antithrombotic therapy in AF, antithrombotic therapy in older people, risk stratification, screening methods, non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments, barriers to anticoagulation, the impact of falls, disability, frailty, and cognitive issues on decision-making, and the importance of shared decision-making. Without improvements in stroke prevention, the problem of AF-related stroke will only increase.

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Lally ◽  
Ellen Tullo

SummaryShared decision making in clinical practice involves both the healthcare professional, an expert in the clinical condition and the patient who is an expert in what is important to them. A consultation involving shared decision making enables an examination of the options available, consideration of the risks and benefits whilst incorporating the values of the patient into the decision making process. A decision is aimed at, which is both clinically appropriate and is congruent with the patient's values.Older people have been shown to value involvement, to varying degrees, in decisions about their care and treatment. The case of atrial fibrillation shows the opportunities for, and benefits of, sharing with older people decision making about their healthcare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
L. A. Geraskina ◽  
M. M. Alieva ◽  
A. V. Fonyakin ◽  
M. Yu. Maksimova ◽  
N. I. Garabova ◽  
...  

The severity of neurological disorders in ischemic stroke (IS) in the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is known to be higher than that in patients with sinus rhythm. The impact of preventive antithrombotic therapy (ATT) on the clinical manifestations and outcomes of stroke remains a matter of debate.Objective: to analyze the quality of preventive ATT and to clarify its relationship to the severity of IS in AF.Patients and methods. The data from the registry of patients (n = 200; 96 (48%) men) (mean age, 71±9 years) with IS and AF were analyzed. Neurological deficit at admission was graded using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The presence and nature of prestroke antithrombotic therapy were studied.Results and discussion. Prestroke ATT was performed in 80 (40%) patients, of whom 36 (18%) took antiplatelet agents (APAs). Oral anticoagulants (OACs) were given to 44 patients. The international normalized ratio (INR) in the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) averaged 1.26 [1.11; 1.64]. Neurological deficit was most obvious in the patients who had not previously received ATT (a NIHSS score of 8 [5; 12]). In comparison with them, the regular use of ATT, including APAs and OACs, was associated with the greater likelihood of less severe neurological deficit (a NIHSS of <8): odds ratio (OR), 2.121; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.178–3.820. The greatest decrease in stroke severity was related to direct (OACs) (DOACs): OR, 2.727 (95% CI, 1.049–7.089), while there was no positive effect of VKAs (OR, 1.534; 95% CI, 0.538–4.377), which was associated with failure to achieve the INR target. Improvement was also related to the prescription of APAs (OR, 2.111; 95% CI, 0.981–4.539).Conclusion. Preventive ATT for a significant proportion of AF patients does not meet the current recommendations. At the same time, ATT, especially that with DOACs, is associated with the lesser severity of IS.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Bientzle ◽  
Marie Eggeling ◽  
Simone Korger ◽  
Joachim Kimmerle

BACKGROUND: Successful shared decision making (SDM) in clinical practice requires that future clinicians learn to appreciate the value of patient participation as early as in their medical training. Narratives, such as patient testimonials, have been successfully used to support patients’ decision-making process. Previous research suggests that narratives may also be used for increasing clinicians’ empathy and responsiveness in medical consultations. However, so far, no studies have investigated the benefits of narratives for conveying the relevance of SDM to medical students.METHODS: In this randomized controlled experiment, N = 167 medical students were put into a scenario where they prepared for medical consultation with a patient having Parkinson disease. After receiving general information, participants read either a narrative patient testimonial or a fact-based information text. We measured their perceptions of SDM, their control preferences (i.e., their priorities as to who should make the decision), and the time they intended to spend for the consultation.RESULTS: Participants in the narrative patient testimonial condition referred more strongly to the patient as the one who should make decisions than participants who read the information text. Participants who read the patient narrative also considered SDM in situations with more than one treatment option to be more important than participants in the information text condition. There were no group differences regarding their control preferences. Participants who read the patient testimonial indicated that they would schedule more time for the consultation.CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that narratives can potentially be useful for imparting the relevance of SDM and patient-centered values to medical students. We discuss possible causes of this effect and implications for training and future research.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Beinfeld ◽  
Suzanne Brodney ◽  
Michael Barry ◽  
Erika Poole ◽  
Adam Kunin

BACKGROUND A rural community-based Cardiology practice implemented shared decision making supported by an evidence-based decision aid booklet to improve the quality of anticoagulant therapy decisions in patients with atrial fibrillation. OBJECTIVE To develop a practical workflow for implementation of an anticoagulant therapy decision aid and to assess the impact on patients’ knowledge and process for anticoagulant medication decision making. METHODS The organization surveyed all patients with atrial fibrillation being seen at Copley Hospital to establish a baseline level of knowledge, certainty about the decision and process for decision making. The intervention surveys included the same knowledge, certainty, process and demographic questions as the baseline surveys, but also included questions asking for feedback on the decision aid booklet. Stroke risk scores (CHA2DS2-VASc score) were calculated by Copley staff for both groups using EMR data. RESULTS We received 46 completed surveys in the baseline group (64% response rate) and 50 surveys in the intervention group (72% response rate). The intervention group had higher knowledge score than the baseline group (3.6 out of 4 correct answers vs 3.1, p=0.036) and Decision Process Score (2.89 out of 4 vs 2.09, p=0.0023) but similar scores on the SURE scale (3.12 out of 4 vs 3.17, p=0.79). Knowledge and Process score differences were sustained even after adjusting for co-variates in stepwise linear regression analyses. Patients with high school or lower education appeared to benefit the most from shared decision making, as demonstrated by their knowledge scores. CONCLUSIONS It is feasible and practical to implement shared decision making supported by decision aids in a community-based Cardiology practice. Shared decision making can improve knowledge and process for decision making for patients with atrial fibrillation. CLINICALTRIAL None


JAMIA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana L Anderson ◽  
e Silva Lucas Oliveira J ◽  
Juan P Brito ◽  
Ian G Hargraves ◽  
Erik P Hess

Abstract Objective The overuse of antibiotics for acute otitis media (AOM) in children is a healthcare quality issue in part arising from conflicting parent and physician understanding of the risks and benefits of antibiotics for AOM. Our objective was to develop a conversation aid that supports shared decision making (SDM) with parents of children who are diagnosed with non-severe AOM in the acute care setting. Materials and Methods We developed a web-based encounter tool following a human-centered design approach that includes active collaboration with parents, clinicians, and designers using literature review, observations of clinical encounters, parental and clinician surveys, and interviews. Insights from these processes informed the iterative creation of prototypes that were reviewed and field-tested in patient encounters. Results The ear pain conversation aid includes five sections: (1) A home page that opens the discussion on the etiologies of AOM; (2) the various options available for AOM management; (3) a pictograph of the impact of antibiotic therapy on pain control; (4) a pictograph of complication rates with and without antibiotics; and (5) a summary page on management choices. This open-access, web-based tool is located at www.earpaindecisionaid.org. Conclusions We collaboratively developed an evidence-based conversation aid to facilitate SDM for AOM. This decision aid has the potential to improve parental medical knowledge of AOM, physician/parent communication, and possibly decrease the overuse of antibiotics for this condition.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document