The mobile health intervention for rural patients with atrial fibrillation a randomized controlled trial

Rural individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF) experience challenges to anticoagulation adherence and self-management of the condition. We tested an intervention to improve anticoagulation adherence, quality of life, and health care utilization in rural individuals with AF.

We randomized rural patients with AF receiving anticoagulation to receive a smartphone-based relational agent (for disease education and adherence guidance) and a heart rate and rhythm monitor for 4 months or a smartphone-based health education app. Adherence was determined with 12-month proportion of days covered (PDC), and secondary outcomes of quality of life and health care utilization from interviews and health records.

The trial randomized 270 individuals 1:1 (median [IQR] age 73.1 [67.5-78.6]; 163 [60.4 %] female sex). Over the 4-month intervention, intervention participants used the relational agent a median of 101 (IQR: 72, 110) days. In an intention-to-treat analysis there was no significant difference in 12-month PDC between the intervention and control groups (median [IQR]: intervention 0.97 [0.89-1.00] versus control 0.97 [0.92-1.00]) or in PDC ≥0.80. Intervention participants were more likely to self-report anticoagulation adherence than control at 4 and 8 months (95.7 % vs 88.4 % and 93.0 % vs 78.8 %, respectively) but not at 12 months. There were no significant differences by assigned intervention for the other secondary outcomes.

Randomization to the relational agent intervention was not associated with improved PDC at 12-months but with greater interim self-reported adherence compared to a control. This study demonstrates the successful use of a smartphone-based agent to address adherence among rural individuals with AF.