Nurse-led atrial fibrillation clinics in primary health care : a review of the evidence
Dahlberg, Maria LU
and Jakobsson, Ulf
LU
(2025)
In Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
43(2).
p.510-514
- Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and the majority of AF patients are treated in primary care. In order to minimize hospitalizations and visits to emergency departments, nurse-led care was introduced in secondary care and primary health care (PHC). However, even though nurse-led care was initiated in PHC almost a decade ago, and ESC guidelines recommended patient-centered integrated care including PHC for patients, there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence regarding the effects. Aim: To review the scientific literature regarding the effects of nurse-led AF clinics in PHC. Methods: A systematic review of scientific literature in Medline/Cinahl. Two reviewers independently assessed the... (More)
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and the majority of AF patients are treated in primary care. In order to minimize hospitalizations and visits to emergency departments, nurse-led care was introduced in secondary care and primary health care (PHC). However, even though nurse-led care was initiated in PHC almost a decade ago, and ESC guidelines recommended patient-centered integrated care including PHC for patients, there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence regarding the effects. Aim: To review the scientific literature regarding the effects of nurse-led AF clinics in PHC. Methods: A systematic review of scientific literature in Medline/Cinahl. Two reviewers independently assessed the retrieved articles. Results: Only one study was found that investigated the effectiveness of nurse-led structured AF management in PHC. The results from the study indicated positive effects; 45% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to usual care and significantly lower number of all-cause hospitalizations with nurse-led care. Several studies were found analyzing the effects of nurse-led AF-care in secondary care facilities, but only one in PHC setting. The results mainly showed that nurse-led care in AF-clinics in secondary care reduces mortality, hospitalizations and visits in emergency departments. Conclusions: Even though only one study focused on PHC, the review indicated positive effects of nurse-led care for AF patients. However, the results are only based on studies performed in inpatient care. Hence, no firm conclusion can be drawn about nurse-led AF-clinics in PHC, and more research is clearly needed in this area.
(Less)
- author
- Dahlberg, Maria
LU
and Jakobsson, Ulf
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrhytmias, literature review, nurse-led care, primary health care
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Informa Healthcare
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39964067
- scopus:85219652484
- ISSN
- 0281-3432
- DOI
- 10.1080/02813432.2025.2466175
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- f479c662-2f51-49c3-a376-aee2bf70d93f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-30 09:27:41
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 09:28:01
@article{f479c662-2f51-49c3-a376-aee2bf70d93f,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and the majority of AF patients are treated in primary care. In order to minimize hospitalizations and visits to emergency departments, nurse-led care was introduced in secondary care and primary health care (PHC). However, even though nurse-led care was initiated in PHC almost a decade ago, and ESC guidelines recommended patient-centered integrated care including PHC for patients, there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence regarding the effects. Aim: To review the scientific literature regarding the effects of nurse-led AF clinics in PHC. Methods: A systematic review of scientific literature in Medline/Cinahl. Two reviewers independently assessed the retrieved articles. Results: Only one study was found that investigated the effectiveness of nurse-led structured AF management in PHC. The results from the study indicated positive effects; 45% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to usual care and significantly lower number of all-cause hospitalizations with nurse-led care. Several studies were found analyzing the effects of nurse-led AF-care in secondary care facilities, but only one in PHC setting. The results mainly showed that nurse-led care in AF-clinics in secondary care reduces mortality, hospitalizations and visits in emergency departments. Conclusions: Even though only one study focused on PHC, the review indicated positive effects of nurse-led care for AF patients. However, the results are only based on studies performed in inpatient care. Hence, no firm conclusion can be drawn about nurse-led AF-clinics in PHC, and more research is clearly needed in this area.</p>}},
author = {{Dahlberg, Maria and Jakobsson, Ulf}},
issn = {{0281-3432}},
keywords = {{Atrial fibrillation; cardiac arrhytmias; literature review; nurse-led care; primary health care}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{510--514}},
publisher = {{Informa Healthcare}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care}},
title = {{Nurse-led atrial fibrillation clinics in primary health care : a review of the evidence}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2025.2466175}},
doi = {{10.1080/02813432.2025.2466175}},
volume = {{43}},
year = {{2025}},
}