What assessment has Welsh Government made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the detection of atrial fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is often detected opportunistically when clinicians put fingers on a patient’s pulse and identify an irregularity in the heart rhythm. This is usually followed by an electrocardiogram (ECG) to confirm the diagnosis. The opportunities for detection have reduced as face to face contact was avoided at the start of the pandemic to minimise infection risks, with many consultations moving to telephone or video formats. However, symptomatic patients with AF are being seen and investigated and other work is underway as follows.
Under the Quality Assurance and Improvement Framework (QAIF) reducing stroke risk through improved management of AF for the cluster population is available as a quality improvement project that aims to incentivise primary care clusters to take action to reduce the stroke risk associated with suboptimal prescribing of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy in primary care.
In addition, there is a collaborative project between Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda University Health Board to pilot the detection of AF as part of the 2021 COVID-19/Flu Vaccination Programme. The aim is to identify high risk population (age>50, diabetic, hypertensive) and offer ECG check with AliveCor monitor.
Public awareness of AF is important. Each year the need to ‘Know Your Pulse’ is promoted by the AF Association with resources to support patients to check their own pulse rate and rhythm.