TY - JOUR
T1 - The European TeleCheck-AF project on remote app-based management of atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - centre and patient experiences
AU - Gawałko, Monika
AU - Duncker, David
AU - Manninger, Martin
AU - van der Velden, Rachel M.J.
AU - Hermans, Astrid N.L.
AU - Verhaert, Dominique V.M.
AU - Pison, Laurent
AU - Pisters, Ron
AU - Hemels, Martin
AU - Sultan, Arian
AU - Steven, Daniel
AU - Gupta, Dhiraj
AU - Heidbuchel, Hein
AU - Sohaib, Afzal
AU - Wijtvliet, Petra
AU - Tieleman, Robert
AU - Gruwez, Henri
AU - Chun, Julian
AU - Schmidt, Boris
AU - Keaney, John J.
AU - Müller, Patrick
AU - Lodziński, Piotr
AU - Svennberg, Emma
AU - Hoekstra, Olga
AU - Jansen, Ward P.J.
AU - Desteghe, Lien
AU - de Potter, Tom
AU - Tomlinson, David R.
AU - Neubeck, Lis
AU - Crijns, Harry J.G.M.
AU - Pluymaekers, Nikki A.H.A.
AU - Hendriks, Jeroen M.
AU - Linz, Dominik
AU - TeleCheck-AF investigators
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - AIMS: TeleCheck-AF is a multicentre international project initiated to maintain care delivery for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) during COVID-19 through teleconsultations supported by an on-demand photoplethysmography-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring app (FibriCheck®). We describe the characteristics, inclusion rates, and experiences from participating centres according the TeleCheck-AF infrastructure as well as characteristics and experiences from recruited patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three surveys exploring centre characteristics (n = 25), centre experiences (n = 23), and patient experiences (n = 826) were completed. Self-reported patient characteristics were obtained from the app. Most centres were academic (64%) and specialized public cardiology/district hospitals (36%). Majority of the centres had AF outpatient clinics (64%) and only 36% had AF ablation clinics. The time required to start patient inclusion and total number of included patients in the project was comparable for centres experienced (56%) or inexperienced in mHealth use. Within 28 weeks, 1930 AF patients were recruited, mainly for remote AF control (31% of patients) and AF ablation follow-up (42%). Average inclusion rate was highest during the lockdown restrictions and reached a steady state at a lower level after easing the restrictions (188 vs. 52 weekly recruited patients). Majority (>80%) of the centres reported no problems during the implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach. Recruited patients [median age 64 (55-71), 62% male] agreed that the FibriCheck® app was easy to use (94%). CONCLUSION: Despite different health care settings and mobile health experiences, the TeleCheck-AF approach could be set up within an extremely short time and easily used in different European centres during COVID-19.
AB - AIMS: TeleCheck-AF is a multicentre international project initiated to maintain care delivery for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) during COVID-19 through teleconsultations supported by an on-demand photoplethysmography-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring app (FibriCheck®). We describe the characteristics, inclusion rates, and experiences from participating centres according the TeleCheck-AF infrastructure as well as characteristics and experiences from recruited patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three surveys exploring centre characteristics (n = 25), centre experiences (n = 23), and patient experiences (n = 826) were completed. Self-reported patient characteristics were obtained from the app. Most centres were academic (64%) and specialized public cardiology/district hospitals (36%). Majority of the centres had AF outpatient clinics (64%) and only 36% had AF ablation clinics. The time required to start patient inclusion and total number of included patients in the project was comparable for centres experienced (56%) or inexperienced in mHealth use. Within 28 weeks, 1930 AF patients were recruited, mainly for remote AF control (31% of patients) and AF ablation follow-up (42%). Average inclusion rate was highest during the lockdown restrictions and reached a steady state at a lower level after easing the restrictions (188 vs. 52 weekly recruited patients). Majority (>80%) of the centres reported no problems during the implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach. Recruited patients [median age 64 (55-71), 62% male] agreed that the FibriCheck® app was easy to use (94%). CONCLUSION: Despite different health care settings and mobile health experiences, the TeleCheck-AF approach could be set up within an extremely short time and easily used in different European centres during COVID-19.
KW - Atrial fibrillation
KW - COVID-19
KW - eHealth
KW - mHealth
KW - Remote monitoring
KW - TeleCheck-AF
KW - Telemedicine
KW - MHealth
KW - EHealth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103516455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/europace/euab050
DO - 10.1093/europace/euab050
M3 - Article
C2 - 33822029
AN - SCOPUS:85103516455
SN - 1099-5129
VL - 23
SP - 1003
EP - 1015
JO - Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology
JF - Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology
IS - 7
ER -