Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog
Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog
Posted by ma403
5 June 2024
The PALP-AF Study is funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (FR9). It is led by Dr Christopher Clark and Dr Rosina Cross and brings together a diverse team of researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Glasgow, clinicians from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and public advisors with lived experiences across England in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation. PALP-AF aims to design a patient-led self-help and exercise-based resource for patients with Atrial Fibrillation.
Why are we doing this research?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition where the heart beats irregularly; it affects 1.4 million adults in England. This irregular heartbeat can happen all the time or it can occur in episodes between periods of normal, regular heartbeats.
People with AF may become distressed by awareness of their irregular heartbeat, or not notice any specific symptoms. AF reduces quality of life by causing symptoms such as anxiety, shortness of breath, or tiredness when carrying out ordinary tasks or exercise. People with AF may worry about their increased risk of having a future stroke, heart failure, or decline in brain function.
Medications are required and sometimes hospital procedures can also help to manage AF. However, for most people with AF, important changes to their lifestyle can reduce symptoms, improve quality life and well-being, increase the ability to exercise and reduce risk of future stroke. Effective lifestyle changes include increasing amount of regular exercise, weight loss, stopping smoking, and reducing alcohol intake. However, there is a lack of information as to how people with AF can effectively apply these lifestyle changes to their everyday lives with confidence, and how they can sustain them over the long term. The best types of exercise for different people with AF are also unclear.
What is the aim of the research?
To synthesise evidence for effective lifestyle interventions for people with AF and to inform the design of a self-help and exercise based resource for this population
What will we do?
This study is comprised of three related work packages.
In the first work stream, we will integrate existing data from multiple systematic reviews to identify how lifestyles interventions such as regular exercise or reduction of alcohol intake have been shown to reduce AF frequency, duration, severity, or symptoms and to improve quality of life for people with AF, in comparison to, or alongside, usual care
In the second work package we will work with a group of individuals with experience of AF as patient and public advisors on this project, we will co-design a review summary and co-develop a practical self-help intervention for effective lifestyle modifications to support patients with AF.
In the third work package, we will present the findings at a patient and public engagement event and prepare a funding application for a feasibility trial of an AF self-help intervention based on the resources developed in this proposal. This bid will include i) qualitative exploration of barriers to, and facilitators of, adoption of self-help interventions for AF, and ii) design (including digital support options) and conduct of a feasibility trial of the self-help intervention for AF in adults.
How will this make a difference?
The outcome of this research will be a patient led and co-designed self-help intervention for patients with AF to support effective lifestyle changes that can reduce symptom burden of AF.
We will work with our public advisors throughout the project to ensure that the work undertaken is sensitive to the needs of individuals with AF. We will disseminate our findings in key research journals and at national and international conferences, as well as via websites, social media and through liaising with local and national societies (such as the British and Irish Hypertension Society) and patient facing platforms (such as the British Heart Foundation and the National Association for Patient Participation).