OSU’s Center for Health Systems Innovation targets atrial fibrillation in new study

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Systems Innovation (CHSI) will be joining several OSU Rural Health Network primary care physicians in a ground-breaking study to discover incidence and management of silent atrial fibrillation. The OSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this new study, CHSI’s second rural health project, on Dec. 17, 2014. A growing problem in health care is the clinical and financial impact of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation because it is most regularly found after stroke. Research has shown that early detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation with oral anticoagulants reduces strokes by 64 percent. This semester, CHSI will launch a project looking into the rural incidence of silent atrial fibrillation by utilizing a new handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) device, The AliveCor® Heart Monitor, a mobile, clinical-quality ECG recorder which snaps onto an iPod, iPhone or other smart phone models. While holding the device, a patient can learn in 30 seconds whether he or she is experiencing atrial fibrillation. This FDA-approved device is user-friendly, fast to produce results, and an affordable resource for rural clinics. Rural populations are at significantly higher risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke due to their increased cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, treating rural patients may have additional challenges such as often having fewer resources available in their communities. In addition to exploring the incidence of undetected atrial fibrillation, the investigator’s goals are also to better understand how obstacles in rural communities influence the treatment of atrial fibrillation and how those can be overcome to better serve all populations.

“The Center for Health Systems Innovation’s major goal is to improve care in rural settings and help rural physicians do a better job of managing discreet patient populations,” said William Paiva, executive director of the center. “In this study, we will learn about how rural patients, who are unknowingly living with silent A-fib, are diagnosed and managed and then look for and innovate better ways for them to manage these patients in a rural health care environment. If successful, we will also significantly reduce strokes and improve patient care while reducing costs,” he said. In the next 30 days, the team will begin training the clinical staff of seven primary care physicians who are collaborating with CHSI to attain the study’s goal of 500 AliveCor® atrial fibrillation screens on patients who are 65 years old or older. Patients who are identified with atrial fibrillation through the AliveCor screening will be monitored for one year through this study noting their treatments and follow-up. The OSU study, entitled “Incidence and Management of Silent Atrial Fibrillation in Rural Healthcare Centers of Northeastern Oklahoma” is headed by lead investigators William Paiva, CHSI’s executive director; Dr. Kathryn Farguson, OSU Cardiology Fellow; Dr. D. Matthew Wilkett, clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine-Cardiology, and Dr. Patrick Henderson, internal medicine resident. OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine medical student sub-investigators are Philip Sinnett, Elizabeth DeWitt, Amritanshu Singh, Sherrita Polk, and Dave Peyok. The OSU Center for Health Systems Innovation (CHSI) operates at the crossroads of the Spears School of Business and the Health Sciences Center. CHSI is focused on discovering and implementing solutions for the transformation of rural health care delivery. Contact: William Paiva | CHSI, Executive Director | 918-582-1972 | wpaiva@okstate.edu ABOUT THE SPEARS SCHOOL: Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for success. Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world. The Spears School of Business is dedicated to the original land-grant vision of integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. For more information, call 405-744-5064 or visit spears.okstate.edu. To learn more about the Spears School of Business, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.