Patient Education Strategies to Improve Risk of Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

We describe the most recent evidence-based treatments to reduce stroke risk and outline challenges that exist in empowering patients to be active participants in decision-making. The shared decision-making (SDM) panorama is highlighted due to its benefits, including increased patient participation in decision-making, patient and clinician satisfaction, and improved outcomes.Recent FindingsOral anticoagulation remains the preferred therapy for stroke prevention in AF. Several barriers to stroke risk reduction persist, including both upstream and downstream barriers on the provider and patient front. Appropriate patient education approaches consider health literacy levels, quality of education materials, and SDM concepts. Many distinct approaches to mitigating these barriers exist, but much remains to be done. To overcome the barriers to patient education, providers must consider social determinants of health including access to care, cultural and language barriers, and socioeconomic status. Each of these factors will ultimately interfere with the success of the educational interventions.SummaryThe current best practice for educating and engaging patients with AF regarding stroke prevention strategies is patient-centered and informed by SDM values. As AF could often be asymptomatic, patients are less likely to adhere to treatment if they do not understand the rationale and the long-term balance of potential benefits and harms. Patient education and engagement tools can assist h...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research