In total 791 patients were invited to participate with a response rate of 74 %. Consecutive patients from three sites were sent: an arrhythmia specific, patient expectation questionnaire an adaptation of the disease specific “Patient Perception of Arrhythmia” questionnaire and EQ-5D-5L.
In November 2010, a retrospective audit was undertaken to assess the viability of using PROMs in patients with symptomatic cardiac arrhythmias having undergone percutaneous arrhythmia ablation. While there are various generic PROMs, and numerous questionnaires aimed at patients within specific disease groups, currently no validated disease-specific tools exist for UK patients undergoing catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias. PROMs are questionnaires completed by patients before and after treatment to measure any changes in their health following a medical intervention. In recent years it has been recognised that patients themselves are best placed to judge clinical benefits of medical procedures, and the use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) has been encouraged. įor most patients, the aim of ablation is to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Studies report high success rates and low incidence of major complications and mortality and evidence suggests that in many patients ablation may be more beneficial than drug therapy. While treatment primarily remains pharmacological, catheter ablation is now a common treatment option after medicines fail, with guidelines issued by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on its use. The prevalence of many arrhythmias increases with age, with AF alone occurring in up to 12 % of elderly patients : As the UK population ages, their incidence will increase, with a subsequent impact on the NHS. Īrrhythmias cause numerous symptoms including palpitations, breathlessness, syncope and chest-pain, and are linked to reduced quality of life, anxiety and depression. This results in a significant burden to the NHS, and studies report that atrial fibrillation (AF) alone is responsible for 6 % of acute medical admissions with the cost of management approximately £459 million in 2000 equating to 1-2 % of NHS expenditure. Estimated to affect up to 1 million people a year in the UK they are among the top 10 reasons people go to hospital. Cardiac arrhythmias are a significant health problem, associated with an increased risk of heart failure, stroke and death.