Atrial Fibrillation, Health Economy, Quality of Life, Signs and Symptoms
Conditions
Keywords
Atrial fibrillation, Symptom burden, Health-related quality of life, Health economy
Brief summary
This study is prospective, open and randomized concerning the value of an Internet-based educational program for patients with atrial fibrillation compared to care as usual.
Detailed description
In the present guidelines for treatment of atrial fibrillation education and information are underlined as important parts of the care. The investigators developed an Internet-based educational program in close collaboration with patients, specialists in the field, both physicians and nurses, and a phycologist, specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy. The aim of the study is to evaluate this program in comparison to care as usual with reduction in symptom burden as primary endpoint, secondary endpoints being improvement in health-related quality of life and reduction in health-care costs.
Interventions
OTHERInternet-based education
A six-step Internet-based patient education.
Sponsors
Dept of Internal Medicin, County Hospital Ryhov, Jönköping, Sweden.
Dept of Cardiology, Örebro University Hospital, Sweden
Ulla Walfridsson
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
prospective, randomized and open study
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patients evaluated for electrical or pharmaceutical cardioversion or evaluated for treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs for paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation.
Exclusion criteria
Age below 18, planned for cardiac surgery or catheter ablation, acute coronary syndrome during three months prior to randomisation. Insufficient knowledge of the Swedish language or other reasons making it impossible for the patient to independently fill out the questionnaires.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Symptom burden | One year after randomisation | Arrhythmia related symptoms evaluated with the validated questionnaire ASTA (The Arrhythmia-Specific questionnaire in Tachycardia and Arrhythmia) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health-related quality of life | One year after randomisation | Arrhythmia related impact on health-related quality of life evaluated with the validated questionnaire ASTA (The Arrhythmia-Specific questionnaire in Tachycardia and Arrhythmia) |
| Health economy | One year prior to and one year after randomisation | Health-care costs during the year prior to the study and for the two arm during the study period |
Countries
Sweden
Contacts
Primary ContactUlla Walfridsson, RN PhD
Backup ContactHakan Walfridsson, MD PhD
Outcome results
None listed