Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40420263›Full record

Trial reportBMC primary care2025

Screening for atrial fibrillation with or without general practice involvement: a controlled study.

Rakesh N Modi, Efthalia Massou, Peter H Charlton, Andrew Dymond, Kate Williams, James Brimicombe, Ben Freedman, Simon J Griffin, F D Richard Hobbs, Gregory Y H Lip and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC primary care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rakesh N ModiDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK. rnm30@medschl.cam.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-9651-6690
Efthalia MassouDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
Peter H CharltonDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
Andrew DymondDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
Kate WilliamsDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
James BrimicombeDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
Ben FreedmanHeart Research Institute, University of Sydney, Room 3114, Level 3 East, D17 - Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Simon J GriffinDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.
F D Richard HobbsNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.
Gregory Y H LipLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Richard J McManusBrighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton and University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
Jonathan MantDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Worts' Causeway, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, UK.

Funding

British Heart Foundation FS/20/20/34626Horizon 2020 899871National Institute for Health and Care Research RP-PG-0217-20007Wellcome Trust 203921/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere has been a drive to increase atrial fibrillation (AF) detection in general practice. However, one-off, opportunistic testing can miss paroxysmal AF and requires significant resource. Paroxysmal AF can be detected through screening that involves repeated ECGs over a period of time, although it is unclear whether screening would need to be led by general practice, and how much support participants require. We aimed to investigate whether AF screening can be delivered remotely by a centralised administration instead of general practice, and to determine the level of support required.

methodsWe undertook a controlled comparator study with secondary randomisation in three English general practices. We invited people aged ≥ 70 years to use a hand-held ECG device four times daily for three weeks. Participants were allocated to practice-led or administrator-led screening, with administrator-led support randomised to three different levels. We compared quantity and quality of ECGs obtained in each arm. The primary outcome was proportion of screened participants who recorded ≥ 56 adequate-quality ECGs (2/3 of possible ECGs).

resultsOf 288 screened participants, 59 participants received practice-led screening with a telephone consultation to explain the device. The remainder received administrator-led screening: 81 were automatically given a consultation; 74 were offered a consultation, and 74 were not offered a consultation. Most screened participants (280/288, 97.2%) recorded ≥ 56 adequate-quality ECGs. This proportion did not vary significantly between practice-led and administrator-led screening (100.0% vs. 98.8%), or between support levels (94.6% to 98.8%). Practice-led screening led to slightly more adequate-quality ECGs (mean: 83.9 vs 78.3, p < 0.001).

conclusionsAF screening can be successfully delivered remotely, outside general practice, with minimal support.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationElectrocardiographyGeneral PracticeMass ScreeningAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleAtrial fibrillationFeasibility studyPrimary careRemote deliverScreening

Identifiers

PMID40420263
PMCPMC12105410

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.