Rapid access nurse-led atrial fibrillation clinics reduce hospital readmissions

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and in the UK accounts for about 1.5% of healthcare expenditure mainly through recurrent hospital admissions (1). The European Society of Cardiology 2020 AF guidelines (2) provides a clear framework of all the different components required to provide good patient-centred integrated AF management of which very little is done well within an emergency inpatient setting.

We have developed a nurse led Rapid Access AF (RAAF) clinic aiming to prevent repeat admissions and improve patients overall AF care.

All patients discharged from our institution's emergency department (ED) or acute medical ward with a primary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation are suitable for the Rapid Access AF clinic. At the clinic the patients are given patient education, advise about risk factor modification, access to an "AF hotline" and a simple initial management plan should symptoms worsen with advise about when to attend the emergency department. Patients are then reviewed at a weekly multidisciplinary meeting with the local AF doctors where longer term strategies are made. The clinics have been operating now for 2 years and we have audited the 3 months from January to March 2022 with further follow up at 6 months.

41 out of 64 patients presenting to the emergency department with AF were admitted. However, whether in the ED or subsequent medical ward, treatment as a whole was very simple AF management, similar to that of outpatient care ( e.g. in ED Beta Blockers 34%, Digoxin 16%, oral Flecainide 5%, IV Amiodarone 12.5%, direct current cardioversion 1.5%, no clear AF treatment 16%, anticoagulation in patients with CHADSVASC 2+ 92%). 36 out of 64 patients were discharged to RAAF clinic and were seen on average 22 days post discharge. Readmission rates were 11% vs 32% at 30 days in patients discharged to RAAF compared to standard care and 14% vs 60% at 6 months.

Patients admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of AF are at high risk of early readmission. A rapid access AF clinic is effective at significantly reducing hospital readmission rates whilst also providing more holistic integrated AF management.