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Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke, morbidity and mortality. AF is responsible for up to a quarter of all strokes and is often asymptomatic until a stroke occurs. Screening for AF is a valuable approach to reduce the burden of stroke in the population. Objectives:The motivation for this review was to synthesise and appraise the evidence for screening for AF in the community. The aims of this scoping review are 1). To describe the prevalence of newly diagnosed AF in screening programmes 2). Identify which techniques/ tools are employed for AF screening 3). To describe the setting and personnel involved in screening for AF. Eligibility Criteria: All forms of AF screening in adults (=18 years) in primary and community care settings. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Results:Fifty-nine papers were included; most were cross-sectional studies (n=41) and RCTs (n=7). Prevalence of AF ranged from 0-34.5%. Screening tools and techniques included the 12-lead ECG (n=33), the 1-lead ECG smartphone based Alivecor® (n=14) and pulse palpation (n=12). Studies were undertaken in community settings (n=30) or in urban/rural primary care (n=28). Personnel collecting research data were in the main members of the research team (n=31), GPs (n=16), practice nurses (n=10), participants (n=8) and pharmacists (n=4). Conclusion: Prevalence of AF increased with advancing age. AF screening should target individuals at greatest risk of the condition including older adults =65 years of age. Emerging novel technologies may increase the accessibility of AF screening in community and home settings. There is a need for high quality research to investigate AF prevalence and establish accuracy and validity for traditional versus novel screening tools used to screen for AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia globally in adults and is associated with an increased risk of stroke, morbidity and mortality. There is growing evidence that AF is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The incidence of both conditions increase with age and both conditions share important risk factors. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between MCI and AF. The aims of this scoping review is 1) To describe the prevalence of MCI in patients with AF without prior stroke 2) To investigate the pathogenetic mechanisms linking MCI and AF and 3) To examine current screening tools employed to identify MCI. Methods: This scoping review was carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Results: The scoping review included 40 studies. Across the included articles, the mean prevalence of MCI in patients with AF was 36.74%. The main proposed pathologic mechanisms linking MCI and AF were white matter lesions, cardiovascular risk factors, silent cerebral infarction and cerebral hypoperfusion. The most common tools used in these studies to identify MCI were a battery of cognitive tests and the MoCA test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the COVID-19 pandemic placed a spotlight on the health inequities in the United States, this study aimed to determine the local programmatic needs of community organizations (CO) delivering COVID-19 interventions across Chicago., Methods: In the summer of 2021, the Chicagoland CEAL Program interviewed 34 COs that were providing education, testing, and/or vaccinations in communities experiencing poor COVID-19 outcomes. The interviews were analyzed thematically and organized around logistical challenges and funding/resource needs., Results: The COs routinely offered testing (50%) or vaccinations (74%), with most (56%) employing some programmatic evaluation. Programs utilizing trusted-messenger systems were deemed most effective, but resource-intensive. CO specific needs clustered around sustaining effective outreach strategies, better CO coordination, wanting comprehensive trainings, improving program evaluation, and promoting services and programs., Conclusion: The COs reached populations with low-vaccine confidence using trusted messengers to overcome mistrust. However, replenishment of the resources needed to sustain such strategies should be prioritized. Leveraging the Chicagoland CEAL Program to help negotiate community organizations' interorganizational coordination, create training programs, and provide evaluation expertise are deliverable supports that may bolster COVID-19 prevention., Policy Implications: Achieving health justice requires that all institutions of power participate in meaningful community engagement, help build community capacity, and infuse health equity throughout all aspects of the research and program evaluation processes., Competing Interests: AMM, SL, LL, and PT were employed by Equal Hope. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Moskowitz, Silva, Castañeda, Battalio, Hartstein, Murphy, Ndebele, Switalski, Lomahan, Lacson, Plum, Canty, Sandoval, Thomas, De Pablo, Spring and Martin.)

Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke, morbidity and mortality. AF is responsible for up to a quarter of all strokes and is often asymptomatic until a stroke occurs.Screening for AF is a valuable approach to reduce the burden of stroke in the population., Objectives: The motivation for this review was to synthesise and appraise the evidence for screening for AF in the community. The aims of this scoping review are 1). To describe the prevalence of newly diagnosed AF in screening programmes 2). Identify which techniques/ tools are employed for AF screening 3). To describe the setting and personnel involved in screening for AF., Eligibility Criteria: All forms of AF screening in adults (≥18 years) in primary and community care settings., Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR)., Results: Fifty-nine papers were included; most were cross-sectional studies (n=41) and RCTs (n=7). Prevalence of AF ranged from 0-34.5%. Screening tools and techniquesincluded the 12-lead ECG (n=33), the 1-lead ECG smartphone based Alivecor® (n=14) and pulse palpation (n=12). Studies were undertaken in community settings (n=30) or in urban/rural primary care (n=28). Personnel collecting research data were in the main members of the research team (n=31), GPs (n=16), practice nurses (n=10), participants (n=8) and pharmacists (n=4)., Conclusion: Prevalence of AF increased with advancing age. AF screening should target individuals at greatest risk of the condition including older adults≥65 years of age. Emerging novel technologies may increase the accessibility of AF screening in community and home settings. There is a need for high quality research to investigate AF prevalence and establish accuracy and validity for traditional versus novel screening tools used to screen for AF.