The Use of a Modified Blood Pressure Device to Detect Atrial Fibrillation in Outpatients

The prevalence and integration of self-monitoring devices is increasing across healthcare systems, [1] and this is leading to patients taking greater responsibility for their health and well-being. Our aim was to compare two groups of patients with reoccurring atrial fibrillation (AF) and their ability to detect AF with the Microlife BP A6 device. The groups were divided according to being symptomatic or asymptomatic for AF. Method: The study was conducted for 3 years. The patients were selected from Kaunas clinical hospital in Kaunas, Lithuania. In total, 60 people took part in the study. The major criterion for inclusion was based on patients having AF upon arrival. During the period of hospitalisation, they were restored to having sinusoidal rhythm (SR). There were two groups of patients in the study. The first group had clear symptoms during the onset of rhythm disturbance and the second group was asymptomatic. All patients under the age of 18 years and those who did not sign the agreement to participate were excluded from the study. The patients were contacted every 6 months by phone call and a questionnaire was filled. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 software. The results were deemed statistically significant when p\u003c0.05. Results: There is a statistical difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic AF patients as compared to how useful they found the device and its effect on anxiety (p\u003c0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups on how frequently they used the device. The research also shows that there was no difference based on gender, education levels. Conclusion: There is a statistically significant portion of AF asymptomatic patients that find the Microlife BP A6 “very useful” and an anxiety reliever as compared to patients that are symptomatic for the condition. Both groups have statistically equally poor adherence in using the device at home.