Healthcare Resource Utilization Following Single-lead Electrocardiogram Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Older Individuals at Primary Care Visits.

The VITAL-AF trial examined the effectiveness of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients using a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) during primary care visits. The study found that screening did not significantly increase AF diagnoses over one year. Healthcare resource utilization was compared between the intervention and control groups, and participants with abnormal ECG readings had higher resource utilization while those with normal readings had lower utilization. Overall, cardiac testing, procedures, and visits were similar between the two groups. The study suggests that increased healthcare utilization for positive screens was balanced by less utilization among those with normal results. The findings may not be applicable to other settings or populations. The study was funded by Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, but they had no involvement in the trial or data analysis. The authors disclosed potential conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]