System prompts for anticoagulation and classification of anticoagulation status
Anticoagulation status for each patient was updated following each transmission of an AF episode via bidirectional software system-based communication between PaceMate staff and clinic staff, or by interrogation of the patient’s integrated electronic medical record, which was accessible via the database in some sites. In patients who transmitted an AF episode, whose record did not indicate the current presence of anticoagulation, PaceMate technicians communicated to staff in the relevant clinic the need for consideration of anticoagulation, via the PaceMate web-based interface. Following this communication, clinic staff would respond and the patient’s anticoagulation status would accordingly be updated on the PaceMate user interface. In the absence of a response from clinic staff, PaceMate technicians would continue to re-communicate the anticoagulation query to clinic staff until a response was received, with anticoagulation status clarification. For the purposes of our analysis, anticoagulation status of each patient was as per the PaceMate interface at the close of the 12-month monitoring period.