Screening for Atrial Fibrillation Among Older Patients in Primary Care Clinics

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in an Ambulatory Clinic Population: The VITAL-AF Study

The overall goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of screening for undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) using simple, efficient, and portable electronic health and mobile technologies in a healthcare system. The investigators propose to perform population-based screening for undiagnosed AF as part of usual care in patients ≥ 65 years when their vital signs are checked (spot-check) at scheduled outpatient visits in adult Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) primary care clinics. Patients will receive routine care by their primary care provider (PCP) based upon the results of the screening during the visit.

The investigators hypothesize that rates of AF detection among individuals ≥ 65 years in the MGH primary care network will be greater among patients in clinics assigned to the spot-check arm compared to patients in clinics assigned to the usual care arm of the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 65 years or older
• Presenting for an outpatient clinic appointment at a participating clinic
• Visit with a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a primary care physician outside of the network
• Do not visit their primary care practice during the study period