Catch-AF-Early Diagnosis of Symptomatic Arrythmias in the Waiting Period Prior to Seeing a Cardiologist in Victoria, British Columbia.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Given its often-paroxysmal nature, screening at a single time point, using a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) or a Holter monitor, has limited benefit. The AliveCor KardiaMobile device is a validated ECG recorder that can be used for patient-directed arrhythmia diagnosis and symptom-rhythm correlation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether using the KardiaMobile device could reduce the time-to-diagnosis, for AF as well as other arrhythmias. We hypothesized that providing patients with a KardiaMobile device during their waiting period for specialist care could reduce the length of time that passes before ECG detection of arrhythmia. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either standard monitoring (ECG and a Holter monitor) or enhanced monitoring (ECG, a Holter monitor, and a KardiaMobile device). Patients were instructed to upload ECG recordings if they had cardiac symptoms, so that symptom-rhythm correlation could be achieved. The primary outcome was the time-to-diagnosis for AF. The secondary endpoint was the time-to-diagnosis for any arrhythmias. Results: From October 2018 to October 2022, a total of 69 patients were enrolled, and they were followed up to 12 months. Overall, 6 of the 7 patients diagnosed with AF were in the enhanced-monitoring group ( Conclusions: The time-to-diagnosis of any arrhythmia was reduced significantly in patients randomized to receive KardiaMobile device monitoring. Providing patients with a KardiaMobile device may expedite the diagnosis of arrhythmias during the waiting period for specialist care. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04302311.