Telemedicine: the future of personalised atrial fibrillation care in a post pandemic world?

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): The pilot phase of the Virtual Ward was funded by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group and supported by a Digital Healthcare Partnership Award from NHS Innovation (now Transformation Directorate). Background The current model of care for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is born out of legacy physician-centred care models. The development and acceptance of digital technology have enabled the advent of novel telemedicine-based models for patients with fast AF. Purpose A virtual AF ward was implemented as a proof-of-concept care model for patients with AF and rapid ventricular response. Methods Patients presenting acutely with AF or Atrial flutter (AFL) to the hospital were onboarded to the virtual ward and managed remotely at home, after being given access to a single-lead ECG device (Kardia), a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter with instructions to record daily ECGs, blood pressure, oxygen saturations and complete an online AF symptom questionnaire. Data were uploaded to a digital platform (Dignio) for daily review by the clinical team. Primary outcomes included admission avoidance, re-admission avoidance, and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the NHS Friends and Family test (FFT) in addition to narrative feedback. Results There were 50 admissions to the virtual ward between January and August 2022. Twenty-four initial hospital admissions were avoided with patients instead directly enrolled from the outpatient setting and a further 25 re-admissions were appropriately prevented during virtual surveillance, avoiding a total of 49 admissions to hospital beds. Most admissions were in AF 78% (n=39) or AFL 18% (n=9), with two admissions frequently alternating between sinus rhythm and AF 4% (n=2). Mean HR at the time of admission and discharge was 122 ± 26 and 82 ± 27 bpm, respectively. FFT response rate was 90% (n=45), with 100% positive responses. Only one patient declined using the service due to technology related anxiety. None of the patients demanded to unilaterally terminate the monitoring, or stopped using the online platform before being discharged from the virtual ward. Conclusion This is a first real-world experience of an AF virtual ward that demonstrates a potential for reducing the healthcare burden imposed by AF admissions, while providing the holistic and personalised care that AF needs. Work is ongoing to further confirm safety and cost-effectiveness upon progress in a larger patient cohort.