Screening Versus Routine Practice in Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population of Lieto

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of patient education on feeling the own pulse irregularity in the elderly population of Lieto. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) rises with age. Subjects have often symptoms like palpitation and discomfort but especially in elderly population there's significant quantity of persons who don't feel any symptoms and fail to seek for medical care for stroke prevention. The main objectives in this study are to find out the prevalence of AF in the elderly population of Lieto, to assess the feasibility and reability of patient education on feeling one's pulse irregularity and the affect to the quality of life of the participating subjects and monitoring the possible increased burden to the public health care system. The study contains two office visits with specified learning session and long-term phone-call follow-up.

Detailed Description
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The main objectives in this study are to find out the prevalence of AF in the elderly population of Lieto, to assess the feasibility of patient education on feeling one's pulse irregularity and the affect to the quality of life of the participating subjects and monitoring the possible increased burden to the public health care system. The study contains two office visits with specified learning session and long-term phone-call follow-up. A specially trained nurse will initially give a 10 min education on pulse palpation to each person and evaluate their capacity to learn pulse palpation. During followup visits the compliance of the patient and possible new arrhythmias plus quality of life issues are recorded and their ability of pulse palpation is evaluated by artificial hand where various kinds of pulses are transmitted.

Official Title
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Screening Versus Routine Practice in Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population of Lieto

Conditions
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Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Subject education to pulse palpation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: patient aged 75 or over inhabitant of Lieto willing to participate Exclusion Criteria: chronic atrial fibrillation ongoing anticoagulant treatment permanent institutional care

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: pulse palpation education<br>The subject is educated to pulse palpation by registered cardiac nurse. The education time is limited to 10 minutes and done according preplanned education model | Other: Subject education to pulse palpation<br>* The subject is educated to pulse palpation by registered cardiac nurse. The education time is limited to 10 minutes and done according preplanned education model.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The willingness to the pulse palpation and competence independently learn to feel own pulse. | Based on learning session evaluated by nurse and objective evaluation of the learned skills by pulse-arm device and patient's pulse diary | 1 month control visit | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of patients with new atrial fibrillation detected during the study | During the 1 year followup visit information on atrial fibrillation is gathered form the patients records and by interview | At 1 year followup | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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atrial fibrillation, thromboembolism, patient education