Free virtual clinic launched to monitor patients with AF, maintain treatment adherence
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The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety announced it launched a free virtual clinic and website for patients with atrial fibrillation in response to the increased demand for telehealth amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a press release, the aim of the virtual clinic (Virtual Patient Care, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety) is to maintain a treatment adherence rate of more than 50% for patients with AF at the highest risk for stroke, in accordance with the American Heart Association’s 2019 AF guidelines. Patients referred to the virtual clinic will have already been diagnosed with AF or have been treated with a reversal agent and been restarted on anticoagulants.
The virtual clinic’s team of providers will monitor patients and be available to answer questions over the web or the phone, according to the release. No medical advice or prescribing will be done by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety.
“Under current COVID-19 conditions, patients face the burdens of social distancing and increased difficulty in reaching clinicians busy with emergencies. Telehealth has proven essential in addressing patients’ pressing health needs and ensuring good patient-to-clinician dialogue,” Michael Wong, JD, founder and executive director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety, said in the release. “With the launch of Virtual Patient Care and the CV Virtual Clinic, vital telehealth benefits are now also extended to AF patients in need.”
The service is supported by an unrestricted grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer, which was used to develop the virtual clinic’s platform and chat lines.
“Because people with AF are at a five-times-higher risk of having a stroke, adhering to the medication plans prescribed by their doctors is of the utmost importance,” Mariell Jessup, MD, FAHA, chief medical officer for the AHA, said in the release. “Being able to provide people with the support they need to manage their AF at home during this time may help avoid additional health risks.”
Disclosures: The service is supported by a grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer. Jessup and Wong report no relevant financial disclosures.
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