Dr. Nino Isakadze shares how a comprehensive, multi-component intervention using digital health technology can improve outcomes for patients living with atrial fibrillation.
Hi, I'm Nino. Sat. I'm one of the Cardiac Electrophysiology fellows at Johns Hopkins. Um So, our research focuses on atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. There is one in five lifetime risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Um So it is associated with increased risk of stroke, uh weak heart muscle, uh heart attacks and hospitalizations as well as really poor quality of life. Um So, there are interventions including risk factor modification that can decrease the burden of atrial fibrillation and can reduce the risk of complications. Um And the risk factor modification is the class one indication by guidelines to um implement in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, despite this overwhelming evidence, we're doing really poor job in getting this recommendation in the hands of patients. Um So, together with a diverse group of patients, we came up with the idea that digital health tools that we use in everyday life, such as smartphone or uh wearable devices, um such as watches um and fitness trackers can really help in implementing the guideline recommendations uh to atrial fibrillation patients at scale. So we developed a comprehensive multi component intervention leveraging mobile app, Coy Aab as well as um watch uh smartwatch um um that monitors the cardiovascular health metrics, um uh leveraging sleep apnea detection with the at home sleep study, as well as weekly check ins by our electrophysiology nurses to develop individualized treatment plans with patients with atrial fibrillation. This is 12 week program, a comprehensive again um that is focusing on risk factor modifications for patients with atrial fibrillation. And so far, we have enrolled almost 50 patients in this study. Um And we are evaluating the feasibility or um you know, the satisfaction and usability of the intervention among patients. And so far patients love the um idea of um de leveraging everyday tools to improve the outcomes of the atrial fibrillation. So the next stage we're preparing for is to do um do a conduct a larger clinical trial. Um leveraging this multi component digital health intervention for atrial fibrillation so that uh we can deploy it in the hands of all patients uh with atrial fibrillation across the world. Thank you.