Atrial fibrillation: An arrhythmia that makes healthcare systems tremble.

Atrial fibrillation: An arrhythmia that makes healthcare systems tremble. J Med Econ. 2020 Apr 07;:1 Authors: Martignani C, Massaro G, Biffi M, Ziacchi M, Diemberger I Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia; its incidence is expected to rise in the coming years due to the aging of the western population. It is associated not only with clinical, but also with significant social and economic issues; in fact, AF-related healthcare costs have been estimated at several million euros in some European countries. Therefore, interventions aimed at improvement of clinical management and reduction of direct and indirect healthcare costs, related to AF, would be strongly recommended in view of their potential increase.An integrated approach to healthcare delivery is a suitable approach for AF patients: the SAFETY intervention is a nurse-led home management approach aimed at reducing all-cause of unplanned hospitalizations and at prolonging survival in AF patients. In the SAFETY intervention group compared to standard care delivery, Byrnes et al. demonstrated an increase in QALYs of 0.02 per person, with a reduction in healthcare costs of $4,375.The SAFETY intervention, while having a limited impact on QALY, allows a considerable saving of economic resources, which can be directed to other interventions in the healthcare system. PMID: 32255385 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Medical Economics - Category: Health Management Tags: J Med Econ Source Type: research