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Assessment of comorbidity awareness in patients with atrial fibrillation: The ACAPAF study

Rana Önder1,2, Lien Desteghe1,2,3,4,5, Johan Vijgen1,2

  • 1Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium.

International Journal of Cardiology. Heart & Vasculature
|October 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Patient awareness of comorbidities in atrial fibrillation (AF) is moderate. Further education is needed to improve understanding and management of these conditions for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Patient Education
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • Effective management of atrial fibrillation (AF) necessitates patient engagement through awareness of co-existing conditions.
  • Integrated comorbidity management is crucial for patients with AF.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate comorbidity awareness in AF patients before and after a nurse-led AF clinic visit.
  • To assess awareness levels at six months post-visit.
  • To measure the time required for comprehensive comorbidity mapping using EHRA-PATHS software.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, two-centre study involving 76 newly diagnosed AF patients.
  • Utilized EHRA-PATHS software for systematic assessment of 23 comorbidities.
  • Administered comorbidity awareness questionnaires pre-visit, post-visit, and at six months, supplemented by nurse consultations.

Main Results:

  • Baseline awareness varied significantly across comorbidities, with alcohol consumption being underestimated and smoking overestimated.
  • An AF clinic visit had a limited impact on patient comorbidity awareness (p=0.456).
  • Awareness remained suboptimal at six months, even after a follow-up phone consultation (p=0.099).
  • AF nurses spent an average of 18.4 minutes mapping comorbidities with the software.

Conclusions:

  • Patient awareness of comorbidities in AF is currently moderate.
  • Enhanced educational interventions are required to improve patient understanding.
  • EHRA-PATHS software enables efficient and systematic comorbidity evaluation within clinical settings.
Abstract

Keywords:
Atrial fibrillationAwarenessCare pathwaysComorbiditiesEHRA-PATHS

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