The NICE approves on a tool for atrial fibrillation

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved of EMIS Health’s brand-new, safe, support tool, which works from a patient’s medical record to help determine and monitor the amount of anticoagulant drugs that should be given to a patient to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). The NICE approved AF tool, which is being distributed to four thousand-one hundred and sixty six General Practitioner (GP) practices via the EMIS Web clinical system, will help assist GP’s on assessing, monitoring and treating the condition from a consultation screen.

Director of the System Engagement Programme at NICE, Nicola Bent, stated: “We’re pleased to endorse this resource which supports clinicians in primary care to make treatment decisions about patients with atrial fibrillation. This makes it easier for clinicians to implement NICE guidance and ensure these patients receive improved, personalised treatment to meet their individual needs.”

A GP at the Davenal House Surgery, Clinician at EMIS Health and research led, Dr Boeckx, stated: “What the AF tool gives hard pressed GPs is relevant information instantly from within the patient’s record. It makes it much easier, safer and quicker to get patients on the right dose of medication. And by better understanding individual patients’ risks, I hope we can help cut the all too high number of those suffering stroke and other complications such as heart attack, limb amputation and dementia. While tools exist outside clinical IT systems to treat AF, their uptake has been low because they are too time consuming to be of practical use in the time-pressured GP setting. Integrating decision support within EMIS Web will I believe make relevant guidance instantly accessible and far more impactful.”