EHR-Embedded Decision Support to Prevent Stroke in Patients With AF

Summary

Background and Significance - Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common significant cardiac rhythm disorder and is a powerful common risk factor for stroke. Randomized trials have demonstrated that anticoagulation can reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. Yet, there continues to be widespread underutilization of this therapy. To address this practice gap locally and improve stroke prevention for patients with AF in the UC Health system, the investigators have assembled an interprofessional team, the Cincinnati Atrial Fibrillation Initiative (CAFI).

Objectives - The objective of this project, "EHR-Embedded Decision Support to Prevent Stroke in Patients with AF", is to improve thromboprophylaxis treatment decisions for patients with non-valvular AF and to increase awareness of the underutilization of appropriate thromboprophylaxis in the University of Cincinnati Health system, including vulnerable populations with health disparities. To achieve this objective, the investigators will implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an Atrial Fibrillation Decision Support Tool (AFDST), embedded within the UC Health electronic health record (EHR) that will: (a) identify at the point of care, patients who might benefit substantially from a change in their current thromboprophylaxis; (b) provide patient-tailored guidance to support decision-making; and (c) provide an opportunity to refer the patient to a pharmacist-staffed AF Thromboprophylaxis Shared Decision-Making consultation service.

Overview of Study Design - The overarching goal is to improve the rate of "appropriate thromboprophylaxis" by eliminating system barriers through provision of appropriate decision support in the right place and at the right time, that improves provider and patient knowledge about AF-related stroke risks, bleeding risks, practice gaps in prevention, and how to think about balancing risks and benefits of anticoagulation therapy, and by improving patient engagement in decision-making. The investigators have designed interventions based on a conceptual model that attributes the gap between evidence and practice to the following issues: 1) provider knowledge, 2) patient understanding and engagement, 3) sociodemographic factors that create barriers to care and treatment, and 4) systems barriers such as time constraints for busy clinicians and inadequate electronic health record-integrated decision support.

The investigators will achieve the overarching goal through two aims. The first aim will be addressed by a randomized controlled trial that examines two strategies - 1) AFDST without best practice advisory \[BPA\] (current state), or 2) AFDST with BPA and semi-automated order set to refer patients to an AF Thromboprophylaxis Shared Decision-Making Service. The investigators will use the RE-AIM framework for the evaluation of implementation studies to assess outcomes of effectiveness, reach, and adoption.

The second aim is to evaluate the impact of shared decision-making tools and services. The investigators believe that a shared decision-making specialty service that utilizes an EHR-embedded Atrial Fibrillation Shared Decision Making Tool (AFSDM) tool will improve a number of metrics for quality care. These include, among others, decrease decisional conflict, improve patient satisfaction with decision-making, improve patient knowledge, and improve adherence with final shared treatment decisions.

Methods - The first aim will be accomplished through a clinical study in which AF patients in the UC Health primary care network will be randomized into one of two study arms. Briefly, these arms are: 1) Atrial Fibrillation Decision-Support Tool (AFDST); 2) AFDST with addition of best practice advisory (BPA) and option to refer to shared decision-making consultation services. Patients will enter the study as their clinicians receive BPAs, or in the case of the first study arm, when BPAs would have been generated as clinicians open medical records of patients for whom current thromboprophylaxis is not optimal.

The second aim will be accomplished through a pre/post study design evaluating the impact of shared decision-making tools and services. Patients will be consented and enrolled following their referral to the pharmacist-staffed AF shared decision-making service. Patients consenting to participation in this aspect of the study, will have a shared decision-making visit with one of the anticoagulation pharmacists. Information to be collected will include a number of validated measures of decision quality, patient engagement and confidence, and connection with the clinical team gathered prior to and at the conclusion of the shared decision-making visit.

Conditions

• Atrial Fibrillation

Interventions

OTHER

Electronic Health Record Best Practice Advisory

The AFDST is a decision support tool that is embedded in our electronic health record system. Currently, this is a passive tool that requires the clinician to launch the tool if an analysis is desired. The experimental arm of this study will add a best practice advisory (BPA) that will trigger when a clinician is in the medical record of an AF patient who might gain substantial benefit (survival and quality of life) if treatment were changed from the current anticoagulation plan, which might be no anticoagulant therapy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Cincinnati

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-11-18

Primary Completion

2022-11-30

Completion

2023-02-28

Countries

• United States

Study Locations