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Many nurses and allied professionals (NAPs) lack the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in conducting and implementing research. This statement describes the importance of NAPs' involvement in clinical research within the context of cardiovascular care. The existing gaps, barriers and enablers to NAPs involvement in research as a potential response to workforce issues in these professions as well as to contribute to excellence in patient care delivery and associated outcomes are identified. Specifically, career development pathways for NAPs are discussed. Finally, potential future directions for NAP research in clinical practice are provided., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To explore medical students' perceptions and experiences regarding the surgery clerkship and surgeons., Design: Between November 2021 and February 2022, an anonymous prepost survey study was performed among 2 consecutive cohorts of medical students. The survey was taken 6 weeks prior to the surgery clerkship and repeated shortly after the surgery clerkship., Setting: Single-center prepost survey study., Participants: Medical students studying at Erasmus Medical Center entering a 6-week surgery education block directly followed by a ten-week surgery clerkship., Results: The preclerkship response rate was 100% (n=145). One out of 5 students considered a surgical career (21%). Half of the students expected to be negatively treated (55%), mainly in terms of hierarchy and offensive language. The postclerkship response rate was 70% (n=101). Interest in a surgical career increased significantly from 21% to 50% (p<0.001). Thirteen students (13%) reported being negatively treated during their surgery clerkship, mainly in terms of poor supervision of their learning process and nonconstructive feedback., Conclusions and Relevance: Stereotypes of surgeons and the surgical clerkship are strongly prevalent among medical students. Half of the students enter the surgery clerkship with negative perceptions. Fortunately, the surgery clerkship debunked prejudices and increased interest in surgery. Poor supervision and feedback during the surgery clerkship were experienced as negative treatment, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a safe learning climate., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease have several common risk factors, and 10-15% of patients with AF undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Little is known about changes over time in modifiable risk factors and self-reported health in patients with and without a history of AF after PCI. Therefore, the aims were to determine and compare changes in modifiable risk factors and self-reported health in patients with and without a history of AF after PCI., Methods and Results: CONCARDPCI, a prospective multi-centre cohort study including patients after PCI, was conducted at seven high-volume PCI centres in Norway and Denmark (n = 3417). Of these, 408 had a history of AF. Data collection was conducted at the index admission and at 2-, 6-, and 12 months after discharge. Self-reported health was assessed with RAND-12 and the myocardial infarction dimensional assessment scale. Patients with a history of AF reported poorer health at baseline. However, the physical (P = 0.012) and mental (P < 0.001) health improved over time in both groups. The patients with a history of AF reported more emotional reactions (P = 0.029) and insecurities (P = 0.015). The proportion of smokers increased from 2- to 12 months in patients with a history of AF (P = 0.041), however, decreased in patients without AF from baseline to 6 months (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: An intensified focus on lifestyle interventions is needed to improve modifiable risk factors and self-reported health in patients with and without a history of AF after PCI., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intrahospital oral benzodiazepine use in the surgical population of a tertiary care centre., Summary of Background Data: Oral benzodiazepines used for treating sleep disturbances and anxiety are widely used in the general population. Information regarding benzodiazepine use during hospitalization is scarce., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using routinely collected healthcare data in a university hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 10,896 patients representing 14,928 admissions were included in this cohort, corresponding to all adult surgical patients admitted between September 2018 and September 2022. Median age was 62 (50-72) and 8,761 out of 14928 (58.9%) were male. Main outcome measures were prevalence and incidence of oral benzodiazepines usage during hospitalization., Results: Prevalence of benzodiazepine administrations in the surgical department was 21.6% out of 14,928 admissions. Median number of tablets given during hospital stay was 3 (1-7). Temazepam (33%), oxazepam (24%) and zopiclone (19%) were prescribed most. Female patients were more likely to have been administered a benzodiazepine, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.002 to 1.19). Benzodiazepine administration during admission was positively associated with higher 30-day surgical readmission, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.37 (1.22 to 1.54)., Conclusions: In this study, one fifth of patients admitted to surgical departments were administered oral benzodiazepines for sleep disturbances and anxiety. Future research and policies should focus on finding and implementing effective non-pharmacological methods for perioperative sleep disturbances and anxiety., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests and Source of Funding : All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure format and have declared; NH received NWO research funding, outside the submitted work. MK received research funding and royalties outside the submitted work. This paper was funded by the Erasmus MC Foundation., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

This paper highlights cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventive access challenges and potential intervention strategies that address cardiovascular preventive service access gaps among African immigrants living in developed countries. Migration, coupled with changes in dietary habits, socio-economic factors, and cultural adjustments, contributes to a heightened risk of CVD among African immigrants. This risk is compounded by a lack of targeted preventive interventions and culturally tailored programmes, as well as challenges related to language barriers, health literacy, and digital literacy. Addressing CVD prevention access gap among African immigrants requires a multifaceted approach that includes culturally tailored programmes, improved community engagement, and targeted policy development. Such intervention programmes and policies can address health challenges faced by various migrant populations, not only African immigrants. Future research should focus on understanding the impact of migration on health behaviours overtime and developing effective interventions strategies to reduce the risk of CVD in this underserved population., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Effective recruitment and retention of participants in clinical research studies are critical to be able to draw meaningful and valid conclusions in research studies. However, there are multiple challenges related to communication, generalizability, and logistics. Researchers must address and overcome these challenges to ensure robust research outcomes. Effective strategies include honest and clear communication, awareness of reasons for (non)-participation, incentivization, and reimbursements of expenses as well as co-designing interventions and research protocols. This paper outlines common issues in participant recruitment and retention and provides practical strategies to overcome challenges., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

With an increasingly aging population, both end-stage renal disease and peripheral artery disease become more prevalent. Peripheral artery disease is increasingly treated with endovascular procedures. Endovascular stenting of the external iliac artery is often considered a contraindication for kidney transplantation, as clamping of the artery could result in possible injury to the stent. In this study, we describe our first 2 cases of kidney transplantation with a graft placed on a self-expandable metal stent and a covered stent as part of an endovascular repair of the aortic bifurcation, using endovascular balloon occlusion to occlude the proximal side of the external iliac artery. Six months after transplantation, both recipients have good kidney function without any signs of ischemia of the ipsilateral limb. This study shows that it is feasible to place a kidney graft on an endovascular stent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by the American Journal of Transplantation., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Centres of clinical excellence (CoCE) are healthcare facilities that provide excellent healthcare. However, despite their increasing prevalence, it is unclear how CoCE are identified and monitored. This paper explores how CoCE has been described in the literature, including its defining characteristics and selection and monitoring processes., Design: We conducted a scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's framework, enhanced by Levac et al . Additionally, we adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines., Data Sources: A comprehensive search using MEDLINE Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus was conducted to identify relevant literature from January 2010 to June 2022., Eligibility Criteria for Selecting Studies: We included published studies and grey literature that described how a CoCE was defined, established, monitored or evaluated., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two independent reviewers completed the title and abstract screening, reviewed the full texts and extracted data., Results: 50 records describing 45 initiatives were included. More than half were published in the USA (n=25, 56%). All but one initiative focused on one clinical condition/population, most commonly cardiovascular disease (n=8, 17%), spinal surgeries (n=4, 9%) and pituitary tumours (n=4, 9%). Most initiatives (n=30, 67%) described a structured process to establish CoCE. The definitions of CoCE were not uniform. Common defining features included the volume of patients treated, medical expertise, a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, high-quality care and excellent patient outcomes. Identification as a CoCE varied from self-identification with no explicit criteria to application and assessment by an approval panel., Conclusion: Despite a growing prevalence of CoCE, there are inconsistencies in how CoCE are established, identified, monitored and evaluated. Common (but not uniform) features of CoCE are highly skilled staff, high-quality care delivery and optimal patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Aims: Reduction of atrial fibrillation (AF) burden is the preferred outcome measure over categorical AF rhythm recurrence after AF ablation. In this sub-analysis of the TeleCheck-AF project, we tested the feasibility of smartphone app-based approximation of time spent with AF and/or symptoms., Methods and Results: Patients scheduled for at least one teleconsultation during the 12-month follow-up after AF ablation were instructed to use a smartphone photoplethysmography-based application for simultaneous symptom and rhythm monitoring three times daily for 1 week. Proxies of time spent with AF and/or symptoms (% recordings, load, and % days), temporal aggregation of AF and/or symptoms (density), and symptom-rhythm correlation (SRC) were assessed. In total, 484 patients (60% male, 62 ± 9.9 years) were included. Adherence, motivation, and patient satisfaction were high. %AF recordings, AF load, and %AF days (rs = 0.88-0.95) and %symptom recordings, symptom load, and %symptom days (rs = 0.95-0.98) showed positive correlations. The SRC correlated negatively with time spent with symptoms (rs = -0.65-0.90) and with time spent with AF (rs = -0.31-0.34). In patients with paroxysmal AF before ablation and AF during the monitoring period, 87% (n = 39/44) had a low-density score <50% ('paroxysmal AF pattern') while 5% (n = 2/44) had a high-density score >90% ('persistent AF pattern'). Corresponding numbers for patients with persistent AF before ablation were 48% (n = 11/23) and 43% (n = 10/23), respectively., Conclusion: On-demand, app-based simultaneous rhythm and symptom assessment provides objective proxies of time spent with AF and/or symptoms and SRC, which may assist in assessing AF and symptom outcomes after AF ablation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: E.S., A.N.L.H., M.G., K.B., A.So., C.H.F., R.M.J.v.d.V., D.V., D.Sc., A.Su., D.St., R.P., M.H., P.L., D.G., H.G., N.A.H.A.P., J.M.H., M.N., M.M., and D.L. declared no conflict of interests. D.D. received modest lecture honorary, travel grants, and/or a fellowship grant from Abbott, AstraZeneca, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, CVRx, Medtronic, Microport, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Zoll. H.A.K.H. received modest lecture honorary and/or a fellowship grant from AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, and Zoll., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: The primary aim of this scoping review was to explore and categorize the medication-related self-care behaviours exhibited by patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who are on oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy., Methods and Results: A scoping review was performed, and the systematic search of the literature yielded an initial 887 records. After deduplication and screening, 61 studies were included in the analysis, ranging from 2003 to 2023. The studies represented a wide geographical distribution and diverse methodologies. The results identified 16 self-care behaviours: a higher focus of the included literature on self-care monitoring (60.65% of studies), followed by self-care management and self-care maintenance (each 16.39%). These behaviours ranged from regular blood testing to consulting healthcare providers and lifestyle changes. The results also highlighted the relationship between treatment satisfaction, self-efficacy, and adherence. Several studies emphasized the critical role of healthcare providers in influencing medication adherence. Furthermore, patient knowledge, quality of life, and psychological factors were identified as key elements affecting self-care behaviours., Conclusion: The review provides a comprehensive landscape of medication-related self-care behaviours among NVAF patients on OAC therapy. It underscores the predominance of self-care monitoring behaviours and the critical roles of healthcare providers, psychological factors, and patient knowledge in influencing these behaviours. The findings also highlight the necessity for an integrated, patient-centred approach to improving self-care and self-management in OAC treatment. Future research should focus on addressing the identified gaps, including the relative lack of studies on lifestyle modification, emotional well-being, and technology-assisted interventions., Registration: This review is part of a broader project and is documented at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05820854., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared.

Purpose: To identify utility-based patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs (CR) and appraise existing evidence on their measurement properties. Secondly, to link their items to the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures (ICHOM) domains for cardiovascular disease (CVD)., Methods: Eight databases were searched. The review followed the COSMIN and JBI guidelines for measurement properties systematic reviews and PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines. Non-experimental and observational empirical studies of patients ≥ 18 years of age with CVD undergoing CR and assessed quality of life (QoL) or HRQoL using utility-based PROMs or one accompanied by health state utilities were included., Results: Nine PROMs were identified with evidence on measurement properties for three measures: the German translations of SF-12, EQ-5D-5L, and MacNew heart disease HRQoL questionnaire. There was moderate quality evidence for responsiveness and hypothesis testing of the SF-12 and EQ-5D-5L, and high-quality evidence for responsiveness and hypothesis testing for the MacNew. All items of SF-12 and EQ-5D were linked to ICF categories, but four items of the MacNew were not classified or defined. All the PROM domains were mapped onto similar constructs from the ICHOM global sets., Conclusion: Three utility-based PROMs validated in CR were identified: the German versions of the EQ-5D and SF-12 and the MacNew questionnaire. These PROMs are linked to a breadth of ICF categories and all ICHOM global sets. Additional validation studies of PROMs in CR are required., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this article, we investigate how the concept of Care Biography and related concepts are understood and operationalised and describe how it can be applied to advancing our understanding and practice of holistic and person-centred care. Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis method was conducted involving multiple database searches, with potential or actual applications of Care Biography identified based on multiple discussions among all authors. Our findings demonstrate Care Biography to be a novel overarching concept derived from the conjunction of multiple other concepts and applicable across multiple care settings. Concepts related to Care Biography exist but were more narrowly defined and mainly applied in intensive care, aged care, and palliative care settings. They are associated with the themes of Meaningfulness and Existential Coping, Empathy and Understanding, Promoting Positive Relationships, Social and Cultural Contexts, and Self-Care, which we used to inform and refine our concept analysis of Care Biography. In Conclusion, the concept of Care Biography, can provide a deeper understanding of a person and their care needs, facilitate integrated and personalised care, empower people to be in control of their care throughout their life, and help promote ethical standards of care., (© 2024 The Author(s). Nursing Philosophy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: To understand for whom, under what conditions, and how an integrated approach to atrial fibrillation (AF) service delivery works (or does not work)., Methods and Results: A realist review of integrated approaches to AF service delivery for adult populations aged ≥18 years. An expert panel developed an initial programme theory, searched and screened literature from four databases until October 2022, extracted and synthesized data using realist techniques to create context-mechanism-outcome configurations for integrated approaches to AF service, and developed an integrated approach refined programme theory. A total of 5433 documents were screened and 39 included. The refined programme theory included five context-mechanism-outcome configurations for how clinical and system-wide outcomes are affected by the way integrated approaches to AF service delivery are designed and delivered. This review identifies core mechanisms underpinning the already known fundamental components of integrated care. This includes having a central coordinator responsible for service organization to provide continuity of care across primary and secondary care ensuring services are patient centred. Additionally, a fifth pillar, lifestyle and risk factor reduction, should be recognized within an AF care pathway., Conclusion: It is evident from our provisional theory that numerous factors need to interlink and interact over time to generate a successfully integrated model of care in AF. Stakeholders should embrace this complexity and acknowledge that the learnings from this review are integral to shaping future service delivery in the face of an aging population and increased prevalence of AF., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Patient journey mapping is an emerging field of research that uses various methods to map and report evidence relating to patient experiences and interactions with healthcare providers, services, and systems. This research often involves the development of visual, narrative, and descriptive maps or tables, which describe patient journeys and transitions into, through, and out of health services. This methods corner paper presents an overview of how patient journey mapping has been conducted within the health sector, providing cardiovascular examples. It introduces six key steps for conducting patient journey mapping and describes the opportunities and benefits of using patient journey mapping and future implications of using this approach., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: Clinical practice guidelines recommend patient education for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) as a part of holistic care, however, clinical guidelines lack detailed specification on the content, structure, and delivery of AF education programmes. To examine the implementation of education for patients with AF in Denmark in relation to coverage, organization, and content., Methods and Results: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2021. The survey contained questions on the organization, delivery, and content of education for patients with AF from all 29 AF outpatient hospital sites in Denmark. The survey was conducted by email and telephone. One-year follow-up was done in May 2022 by email. Patient education was provided by healthcare professionals in 16 (55%) hospitals. Nurse workforce issues, management, non-prioritization, and lack of guidance for implementation were reasons for the absence of patient education in 13 (45%) hospitals. The structure of patient education differed in relation to group or individual teaching methods and six different education models were used. Content of the AF disease education was generally similar. At 1-year follow-up, another four hospitals reported offering patient education (69% in total)., Conclusion: Initially, almost half of the hospitals did not provide patient education, but at 1-year follow-up, 69% of hospitals delivered patient education. Patient education was heterogeneous in relation to delivery, frequency, and duration. Future research should address individualized patient education that may demonstrate superiority in relation to quality of life, less hospital admissions, and increased longevity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: I.Q. has been a speaker for BMS/Pfizer. D.A.L. has received investigator-initiated educational grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Pfizer, has been a speaker for Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and BMS/Pfizer, and has consulted for BMS and Boehringer Ingelheim. S.S.R., none to declare. J.M.H. is supported by a Future Leader Fellowship provided by the Heart Foundation of Australia. A.A.H. has received research grants from The Danish Heart Foundation and The Novo Nordisk Foundation, has consulted for Bayer and BMS/Pfizer, and been a speaker for Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, LEO Pharma, and MSD all outside of the submitted work. S.P.J. has been a consultant and speaker for BMS/Pfizer. Research grants from BMS/Pfizer. L.F. is supported by a grant from the Health Research Foundation of Central Denmark Region and has served as an advisor for BMS/Pfizer and AstraZeneca., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become increasingly complex. Therefore, strong efforts have been made during the past decade to develop models for structured, integrated care for patients with AF. These have also been incorporated in international guidelines for the management of patients with AF. However, implementation of integrated care approaches in daily clinical practice is scarce and far from optimal, and it may require a re-thinking of the structure of the healthcare system. The reasons for the poor implementation are many, from limited time and economic resources to deficits in postgraduate education of healthcare professionals, lack of involvement of patients in how integrated care should be designed, and fragmentation of the healthcare system. Moreover, patients' psychological challenges, which not only impact patients' adherence to treatment but, if untreated, increase their risk of morbidity, mortality, and poor quality of life, are not given sufficient attention. It is time to start a necessary discussion of what integrated care should be, what it should contain, and what is necessary to implement it in daily clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: A.B. has received research grants from Theravance, the Zealand Region, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the European Union Interreg 5A Programme, the Danish Heart Foundation, and the Independent Research Fund Denmark and a lecture honorarium from Bristol Myers Squibb outside the submitted work. S.S.P. and J.M.H. have nothing to declare., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared.

Objective: This review will evaluate the effectiveness of alternative vs traditional forms of exercise on cardiac rehabilitation program utilization and other outcomes in women with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease., Introduction: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs improve health outcomes in women with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease. However, such programs are underutilized worldwide, particularly among women. Some women perceive traditional gym-based exercise in cardiac rehabilitation programs (eg, typically treadmills, cycle ergometers, traditional resistance training) to be excessively rigorous and unpleasant, resulting in diminished participation and completion. Alternative forms of exercise such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or Pilates may be more enjoyable and motivating exercise options for women, enhancing engagement in rehabilitation programs. However, the effectiveness of these alternative exercises in improving program utilization is still inconsistent and needs to be systematically evaluated and synthesized., Inclusion Criteria: This review will focus on randomized controlled trials of studies measuring the effectiveness of alternative vs traditional forms of exercise on cardiac rehabilitation program utilization as well as clinical, physiological, or patient-reported outcomes in women with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease., Methods: The review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. Databases including MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase (Ovid), Emcare (Ovid), Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and PsycINFO (Ovid) will be searched. Two independent reviewers will screen articles and then extract and synthesize data. Methodological quality will be assessed using JBI's standardized instruments. GRADE will be used to determine the certainty of evidence., Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022354996., (Copyright © 2023 JBI.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent with a lifetime risk of about 1 in 3-5 individuals after the age of 45 years. Between 2010 and 2019, the global prevalence of AF has risen markedly from 33.5 million to 59 million individuals living with AF. Early detection of AF and implementation of appropriate treatment could reduce the frequency of complications associated with AF. International AF management guidelines recommend opportunistic and systematic screening for AF, but additional data are needed. Digital approaches and pathways have been proposed for early detection and for the transition to early AF management. Mobile health (mHealth) devices provide an opportunity for digital screening and should be part of novel models of care delivery based on integrated AF care pathways. For a broad implementation of mHealth-based, integrated care for patients with chronic diseases as AF, further high quality evidence is necessary. In this review, we present an overview of the present data on epidemiology, screening techniques, and the contribution of digital health solutions to the integrated management of AF. We also provide a systemic review on current data of digital and integrated AF management., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Aims: This review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions vs. usual care on hypertension management, lifestyle behaviour, and patients' knowledge of hypertension and associated risk factors., Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. MEDLINE (Ovid), EmCare (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane library, and ProQuest (Ovid) were searched from inception to 15 February 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of nurse-led interventions on hypertension management were identified. Title and abstract, full text screening, assessment of methodological quality, and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers using JBI tools. A statistical meta-analysis was conducted using STATA version 17.0., Results: A total of 37 RCTs and 9731 participants were included. The overall pooled data demonstrated that nurse-led interventions may reduce systolic blood pressure (mean difference -4.66; 95% CI -6.69, -2.64; I2 = 83.32; 31 RCTs; low certainty evidence) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference -1.91; 95% CI -3.06, -0.76; I2 = 79.35; 29 RCTs; low certainty evidence) compared with usual care. The duration of interventions contributed to the magnitude of blood pressure reduction. Nurse-led interventions had a positive impact on lifestyle behaviour and effectively modified diet and physical activity, but the effect on smoking and alcohol consumption was inconsistent., Conclusion: This review revealed the beneficial effects of nurse-led interventions in hypertension management compared with usual care. Integration of nurse-led interventions in routine hypertension treatment and prevention services could play an important role in alleviating the rising global burden of hypertension., Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42021274900., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: The dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus in patients and the hospital environment are relatively unknown. We studied these dynamics in a tertiary care hospital in the Netherlands., Methods: Nasal samples were taken from adult patients at admission and discharge. Isolates cultured from clinical samples taken before and during hospitalization from these patients were included. Environmental samples of patient rooms were taken over a three-year period. Finally, isolates from clinical samples from patients with an epidemiological link to S. aureus positive rooms were included. Staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing was performed., Results: Nasal samples were taken from 673 patients. One hundred eighteen (17.5%) were positive at admission and discharge, 15 (2.2%) patients acquired S. aureus during hospitalization. Nineteen patients had a positive clinical sample during hospitalization, 15.9% of the S. aureus were considered as from an exogenous source. One hundred and forty (2.8%) environmental samples were S. aureus positive. No persistent contamination of surfaces was observed. Isolates were highly diverse: spa typing was performed for 893 isolates, identifying 278 different spa types, 161 of these spa types were observed only once., Conclusion: Limited transmission could be identified between patients and the hospital environment, and from patient-to-patient. Exogenous acquisition was assumed to occur in 15% of clinical samples. Environmental contamination was infrequent, temporarily, and coincided with the strain from the patient admitted to the room at that time. MRSA was rare and not found in the environment., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Education to improve medication adherence is one of the core components of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. However, the evidence on the effectiveness of CR programs on medication adherence is conflicting. Therefore, we aimed to summarize the effectiveness of CR programs versus standard care on medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Seven databases and clinical trial registries were searched for published and unpublished articles from database inception to 09 Feb 2022. Only randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included. Two independent reviewers conducted the screening, extraction, and appraisal. The JBI methodology for effectiveness reviews and PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed. A statistical meta-analysis of included studies was pooled using RevMan version 5.4.1., Results: In total 33 studies were included with 16,677 participants. CR programs increased medication adherence by 14 % (RR = 1.14; 95 % CI: 1.07 to 1.22; p = 0.0002) with low degree of evidence certainty. CR also lowered the risk of dying by 17 % (RR = 0.83; 95 % CI: 0.69 to 1.00; p = 0.05); primary care and emergency department visit by mean difference of 0.19 (SMD = -0.19; 95 % CI: -0.30 to -0.08; p = 0.0008); and improved quality of life by 0.93 (SMD = 0.93; 95 % CI: 0.38 to 1.49; p = 0.0010). But no significant difference was observed in lipid profiles, except with total cholesterol (SMD = -0.26; 95 % CI: -0.44 to -0.07; p = 0.006) and blood pressure levels., Conclusions: CR improves medication adherence with a low degree of evidence certainty and non-significant changes in lipid and blood pressure levels. This result requires further investigation., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Objective: To examine the associations between specific dietary patterns and incident atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: Using data from the UK Biobank, dietary intakes were calculated from 24-hour diet recall questionnaires. Indices representing adherence to dietary patterns (Mediterranean-style, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and plant-based diets) were scored, and ultra-processed food consumption was studied as a percentage of total food mass consumed. Incident AF hospitalisations were assessed in Cox regression models., Results: A total of 121 300 individuals were included, with 4 579 incident AF cases over a median follow-up of 8.8 years. Adherence to Mediterranean-style or DASH diets was associated with a lower incidence of AF in minimally adjusted analyses (HR for highest vs lowest quintile 0.87 (95% CI 0.80-0.96) and HR 0.78 (95% CI 0.71-0.86), respectively). However, associations were no longer significant after accounting for lifestyle factors (HR 0.95 (95% CI 0.87-1.04) and 0.94 (95% CI 0.86-1.04) respectively), with adjustment for body mass index responsible for approximately three-quarters of the effect size attenuation. Plant-based diets were not associated with AF risk in any models. Greatest ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a significant increase in AF risk even in fully adjusted models (HR 1.13 (95% CI 1.02-1.24)), and a 10% increase in absolute intake of ultra-processed food was associated with a 5% increase in AF risk (HR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01-1.08))., Conclusion: With the possible exception of reducing ultra-processed food consumption, these findings suggest that attention to other modifiable risk factors, particularly obesity, may be more important than specific dietary patterns for the primary prevention of AF., Competing Interests: Competing interests: GMM has received research funding from Baylis Medical, is a consultant for Johnson and Johnson and InCarda and holds equity in InCarda. DHL reports that the University of Adelaide has received on his behalf lecture and/or consulting fees from Abbott Medical, Biotronik, Medtronic and MicroPort CRM. JH is an International Advisory Board member for BMJ Heart and reports that Flinders University has received on his behalf lecture and/or consulting feels from Biotronik. PS reports having served on the Advisory Board of Boston Scientific, CathRx, Medtronic, PaceMate and Abbott Medical. PS also reports that the University of Adelaide has received on his behalf lecture, consulting fees and/or research funding from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott Medical and LivaNova. CXW reports that the University of Adelaide has received on his behalf lecture, travel and/or research funding from Abbott Medical, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic, Novartis, Servier, St Jude Medical and Vifor Pharma., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To evaluate the disease-related knowledge of outpatients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and the relationship with health literacy and other background variables., Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional survey study, conducted in Iceland, patients with AF scheduled for an electrical cardioversion or AF catheter ablation were recruited from a hospital outpatient clinic. They completed the validated Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge Scale (AFKS), a 11-item instrument (with possible score 0-10, 10 being the best knowledge) which evaluates knowledge pertaining to AF in general, AF symptom detection and AF treatment. Health literacy was assessed with the 16 item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) and patients answered questions about their background. Data was analysed with parametric tests., Results: In total, 185 participants completed the questionnaire (mean age 63 ±10), 77% were male, 74% with previous electrical cardioversion and 76% were on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) medication. The mean score on the AFKS was 6.5 (±1.8). The best knowledge was concerning oral anticoagulation therapy (96% answered correctly) and the least knowledge was regarding responses to AF episodes (17% answered correctly). Patients with sufficient health literacy (52%) had better knowledge of AF (M 6.8 ±1.7 vs M 6.3 ±1.9, p = 0.05). Age, educational level, health literacy and AF pattern explained 22% of the variance in AF knowledge., Conclusion: Patients with AF have inadequate knowledge of their condition, potentially as a result of insufficient health literacy. AF knowledge may be improved using integrated management where patients are actively involved in the care and health literacy is considered in the provided patient education., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Erlingsdottir et al.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared.

Background: Remote monitoring (RM) can facilitate early detection of subclinical and symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), providing an opportunity to evaluate the need for stroke prevention therapies. We aimed to characterize the burden of RM AF alerts and its impact on anticoagulation of patients with device-detected AF., Methods: Consecutive patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device, at least one AF episode, undergoing RM were included and assigned an estimated minimum CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score based on age and device type. RM was provided via automated software system, providing rapid alert processing by device specialists and systematic, recurrent prompts for anticoagulation., Results: From 7651 individual, 389,188 AF episodes were identified, 3120 (40.8%) permanent pacemakers, 2260 (29.5%) implantable loop recorders (ILRs), 987 (12.9%) implantable cardioverter defibrillators, 968 (12.7%) cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillators, and 316 (4.1%) CRT pacemakers. ILRs transmitted 48.8% of all AF episodes. At twelve-months, 3404 (44.5%) AF < 6 min, 1367 (17.9%) 6 min-6 h, 1206 (15.8%) 6-24 h, and 1674 (21.9%) ≥ 24 h. A minimum CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 2 was assigned to 1704 (63.1%) of the patients with an AF episode of ≥ 6 h, 531 (31.2%) who were not anticoagulated at 12-months, and 1031 (61.6%) patients with an AF episode duration of ≥ 24 h, 290 (28.1%) were not anticoagulated., Conclusions: Despite being intensively managed via RM software system incorporating cues for anticoagulation, a substantial proportion of patients with increased stroke risk remained unanticoagulated after a device-detected AF episode of significant duration. These data highlight the need for improved clinical response pathways and an integrated care approach to RM., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12620001232921., (© 2023. Crown.)

Objective: This review will identify and appraise existing evidence on the measurement properties of utility-based health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) measures used in cardiac rehabilitation programs. The review will map the measure domains against the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures domains for cardiovascular disease., Introduction: Improving HRQoL is an international key indicator for delivering high-quality and person-centered secondary prevention programs. Many instruments and measures assess HRQoL in individuals undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Utility-based measures are suitable for calculating quality-adjusted life years, a required outcome metric in cost-utility analysis. Cost-utility analysis requires the use of utility-based HRQoL measures. However, there is no consensus on which utility-based measure is best for populations undergoing cardiac rehabilitation., Inclusion Criteria: Eligible studies will include patients aged ≥18 years with cardiovascular disease who are undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Empirical studies that assess quality of life or HRQoL using a utility-based, health-related, patient-reported outcome measure or a measure accompanied by health state utilities will be eligible. Studies must report at least 1 of the following measurement properties: reliability, validity, responsiveness., Methods: This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of measurement properties. The following databases will be searched from inception to the present: MEDLINE, Emcare, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Informit, PsyclNFO, REHABDATA, and the Cochrane Library. Studies will be critically appraised using the The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) risk of bias checklist. The review will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines., Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022349395., Competing Interests: The other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 JBI.)

Patients with cardiovascular disease benefit from cardiac rehabilitation, which includes structured exercise and physical activity as core components. This position statement provides pragmatic, evidence-based guidance for the assessment and prescription of exercise and physical activity for cardiac rehabilitation clinicians, recognising the latest international guidelines, scientific evidence and the increasing use of technology and virtual delivery methods. The patient-centred assessment and prescription of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and physical activity have been addressed, including progression and safety considerations., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Timely identification of patients who carry multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDRO) is needed to prevent nosocomial spread to other patients and to the hospital environment. We aimed to compare the yield of a universal screening strategy upon admission to the currently installed universal risk assessment combined with risk-based screening upon admission., Methods: This observational study was conducted within a prospective cohort study. From January 1, 2018, until September 1, 2019, patients admitted to our hospital were asked to participate. Nasal and perianal samples were taken upon admission and checked for the presence of MDRO. The results of the universal risk assessment and risk-based screening were collected retrospectively from electronic health records., Results: In total, 1017 patients with 1069 separate hospital admissions participated in the study. Universal screening identified 38 (3.6%) unknown MDRO carriers upon admission (37 individual patients), all carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales. For 946 of 1069 (88.5%) patients, both the universal risk assessment and universal screening were performed. For 19 (2.0%) admissions, ≥1 risk factor was identified. The universal risk assessment identified one (0.1%) unknown carrier, compared to 37 out of 946 carriers for the universal screening (P<0.001). Of the 37 carriers identified through the universal screening, 35 (94.6%) reported no risk factors., Conclusions: Our results show that in our low endemic setting, a universal screening strategy identified significantly more MDRO carriers than the currently implemented universal risk-assessment. When implementing a universal risk-assessment, risk factors should be carefully selected to be able to identify ESBL-E carriers. While the universal screening identified more MDRO carriers, further research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of this strategy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 van der Schoor et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

In a rapidly changing health and care landscape, there is acknowledgement that the organization of care should be integrated with the patient placed at the centre. In reality, care systems are often fragmented, disjointed, and focused on the condition rather than the patient. The Science Committee of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology recognizes the need for a statement on integrated care to guide health professionals caring for people with cardiovascular disease. This statement outlines the evidence for integrated cardiovascular care, identifies challenges, and offers advice for practice, education, and research., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) negatively impacts the efficacy of heart rhythm control treatments in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Although COPD is recognized as a risk factor for AF, practical guidance about how and when to screen for COPD is not available. Herein, we describe the implementation of an integrated screening and management pathway for COPD into the existing pre-ablation work-up in an AF outpatient clinic infrastructure., Methods and Results: Consecutive unselected patients accepted for AF catheter ablation in the Maastricht University Medical Center+ were prospectively screened for airflow limitation using handheld (micro)spirometry at the pre-ablation outpatient clinic supervised by an AF nurse. Patients with results suggestive of airflow limitation were offered referral to the pulmonologist. Handheld (micro)spirometry was performed in 232 AF patients, which provided interpretable results in 206 (88.8%) patients. Airflow limitation was observed in 47 patients (20.3%). Out of these 47 patients, 29 (62%) opted for referral to the pulmonologist. The primary reason for non-referral was low perceived symptom burden. Using this screening strategy 17 (out of 232; 7.3%) ultimately received a diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease, either COPD or asthma., Conclusion: A COPD care pathway can successfully be embedded in an existing AF outpatient clinic infrastructure, using (micro)spirometry and remote analysis of results. Although one out of five patients had results suggestive of an underlying chronic respiratory disease, only 62% of these patients opted for a referral. Pre-selection of patients as well as patient education might increase the diagnostic yield and requires further research., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: L.K. is the inventor of AioCare and co-founder of Healthup. L.K. critically reviewed the manuscript and contributed to the final manuscript, but was not involved in the design, data collection, and conductance of the study nor involved in the data analysis. The other authors have nothing to disclose., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Given the high prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidity in older adults, there is a need to better conceptualize and measure self-care and self-management to promote a person-centered approach. This scoping review aimed to identify and map instruments measuring self-care and self-management of chronic conditions by older adults. We searched six electronic databases, charted data from the studies and tools and reported the results in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A total of 107 articles (103 studies) containing 40 tools were included in the review. There was substantial variation in the tools in terms of their aims and scope, structure, theoretical foundations, how they were developed, and the settings in which they have been used. The quantity of tools demonstrates the importance of assessing self-care and self-management. Consideration of the purpose, scope, and theoretical foundation should guide decisions about tools suitable for use in research and clinical practice.

Aims: To consolidate the evidence on the effectiveness of activity-monitoring devices and mobile applications on physical activity and health outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease who attended cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes., Methods and Results: An umbrella review of published randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses was conducted. Nine databases were searched from inception to 9 February 2022. Search and data extraction followed the JBI methodology for umbrella reviews and PRISMA guidelines. Nine systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria, comparing outcomes of participants in CR programmes utilizing devices/applications, to patients without access to CR with devices/applications. A wide range of physical, clinical, and behavioural outcomes were reported, with results from 18 712 participants. Meta-analyses reported improvements in physical activity, minutes/week [standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10-0.35] and activity levels (SMD 0.29, 95% CI 0.07-0.51), and a reduction in sedentariness [risk ratio (RR) 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.75] in CR participants, compared with usual care. Of clinical outcomes, the risk of re-hospitalization reduced significantly (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.27-0.89), and there was reduction (non-significant) in mortality (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.05-1.54). From the behavioural outcomes, reviews reported improvements in smoking behaviour (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.67-1.13) and total diet quality intake (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66-0.94) among CR patients., Conclusions: The use of devices/applications was associated with increase in activity, healthy behaviours, and reductions in clinical indicators. Although most effect sizes indicate limited clinical benefits, the broad consistency of the narrative suggests devices/applications are effective at improving CR patients' outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Early detection and timely treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains pivotal to preventing AF-related complications. Public involvement in recognising potential AF symptoms and managing AF is vital for early detection and treatment of AF., Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the general public's knowledge of AF using an online survey, disseminated via social media., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of the general public was conducted between November to December 2021. The survey's URL was shared on National University Heart Centre, Singapore's official Facebook page. Digital marketing strategies were employed to recruit members of the public. The 27-item survey assessed public's knowledge across five domains: basic information about AF, risk factors of AF, detection of AF, prevention of AF, and management of AF., Results: The survey involved 620 participants. Approximately two-thirds were between the ages 21 to 40 years (64.5%), female (60%) and had at least a degree (64.7%) as their highest level of education. Participants obtained a mean percentage score of 63.3 ± 26.0 for their AF knowledge. One-way ANOVA was done to examine the associations between the participants' characteristics and their knowledge of AF. There were no statistically significant differences in the AF knowledge scores across the various sociodemographic subgroups., Conclusions: Members of the public recruited from Facebook and via digital marketing had moderately good knowledge of AF. However, public awareness pertaining to preventing AF has potential for improvement. The utility of social media in reaching the general public was illustrated through this study., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is prevalent in up to 50% of patients referred for atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (CA). Currently, it remains unclear how to improve pre-selection for SDB screening in patients with AF., Aim: We aimed to (1) assess the accuracy of the STOP-Bang screening questionnaire for detection of SDB within an AF population referred for CA; (2) derive a refined, AF-specific SDB score to improve pre-selection., Methods: Consecutive AF patients referred for CA without a history of SDB and/or SDB screening were included. Patients were digitally referred to the previously implemented Virtual-SAFARI SDB screening and management pathway including a home sleep test. An apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of  ≥ 15 was interpreted as moderate-to-severe SDB. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess characteristics associated with moderate-to-severe SDB to refine pre-selection for SDB screening., Results: Of 206 included patients, 51% were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe SDB. The STOP-Bang questionnaire performed poorly in detecting SDB, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.647 (95% Confidence-Interval (CI) 0.573-0.721). AF-specific refinement resulted in the BOSS-GAP score. Therein, BMI with cut-off point ≥ 27 kg/m 2  and previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) were added, while tiredness and neck circumference were removed. The BOSS-GAP score performed better with an AUROC of 0.738 (95% CI 0.672-0.805) in the overall population., Conclusion: AF-specific refinement of the STOP-Bang questionnaire moderately improved detection of SDB in AF patients referred for CA. Whether questionnaires bring benefits for pre-selection of SDB compared to structural screening in patients with AF requires further studies., Trial Registration Number: ISOLATION was registered NCT04342312, 13-04-2020., (© 2023. The Author(s).)