Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26688698›Full record

ArticleThe Australasian medical journal2015

Contemporary approaches to managing atrial fibrillation: A survey of Australian general practitioners.

Beata Bajorek, Parker Magin, Sarah Hilmer, Ines Krass

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Australasian medical journal, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. 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

4 authors.

Beata BajorekGraduate School of Health - Pharmacy, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Parker MaginDiscipline of General Practice, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Sarah HilmerDept. of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
Ines KrassFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecent attention to the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke prevention has emphasised the need to support the use of existing pharmacotherapy through available services and resources, in preference to using the new, more expensive, novel oral anticoagulants. In this regard, general practitioners (GPs) are at the core of care.

aimsTo survey Australian GPs regarding their approach to managing AF, particularly in relation to stroke prevention therapy, and to identify the range of services to support patient care.

methodsA structured questionnaire, comprising quantitative and qualitative responses, was administered to participating GPs within four geographical regions of NSW (metropolitan, regional, rural areas).

resultsFifty GPs (mean age 53.74±9.94 years) participated. Most (98 per cent) GPs regarded themselves as primarily responsible for the management of AF, only referring patients to specialists when needed. However, only 10 per cent of GPs specialised in "heart/vascular health". Most (76 per cent) GPs offered point-of-care international normalised ratio (INR) testing, with 90 per cent also offering patient support via practice nurses and home visits. Overall, key determinants influencing GPs' initiation of antithrombotic therapy were: "stroke risk"/"CHADS2 score", followed by "patients' adherence/compliance". GPs focused more on medication safety considerations and the day-to-day management of therapy than on the risk of bleeding.

conclusionAustralian GPs are actively engaged in managing AF, and appear to be well resourced. Importantly, there is a greater focus on the benefits of therapy during decision-making, rather than on the risks. However, medication safety considerations affecting routine management of therapy remain key concerns, with patients' adherence to therapy a major determinant in decision-making.

Indexed as

antiarrhythmicantithromboticAtrial fibrillationgeneral practitionerspharmacotherapystroke prevention

Identifiers

PMID26688698
PMCPMC4674661

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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 OpenQuestion graph.