DECIDE-AF: a shared decision tool in your health portal to help prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation
Official title: DECIDE-AF: Implementing an Interoperable Shared Decision-Making Tool in the Electronic Health Record to Prevent Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11450366 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly tool in your electronic health record helps you and your doctor choose the right way to prevent strokes if you have atrial fibrillation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $858,456 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL184047-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11450366 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with atrial fibrillation who are candidates for anticoagulation or left atrial appendage occlusion and are engaged in outpatient care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not considering anticoagulation or LAAO, or those not using digital portals or with limited access, may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to embed a shared decision-making tool into the patient portal and clinician workflow so people with atrial fibrillation can understand anticoagulation options and decide what’s best for them. The tool builds on an existing decision aid and adds options like left atrial appendage occlusion, while fitting into routine visits and electronic check-ins. It focuses on improving understanding, communication, and timely use of preventive therapies, especially in groups with higher stroke risk and historically lower anticoagulation use. By aligning information with patient values and real-world workflows, the study seeks to make high-quality, personalized decisions more accessible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with atrial fibrillation could make better-informed choices about stroke prevention and experience fewer strokes or bleeding complications through more appropriate therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous decision aids improved decision quality, but larger-scale implementation in diverse populations is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapoor, Alok — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Kapoor, Alok
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Advancing Shared Decision Making for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation
Aims to combine data from three big trials to understand how decision aids help people with atrial fibrillation choose anticoagulation to prevent stroke, in a patient-centered way.
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Atrial fibrillation, clots, and stroke: the heart’s JNK2 as a target
This NIH grant explores how a heart protein called JNK2 may drive atrial fibrillation, blood clots, and stroke, and whether it could serve as a biomarker and new treatment approach.
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Personalized stroke risk prediction for atrial fibrillation patients using advanced data and models
Aims to create a personalized, easy-to-use tool that predicts stroke risk for people with atrial fibrillation using big health data and transparent machine-learning methods.
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New AI approach to detect and predict atrial fibrillation after stroke
A patient-friendly AI-based method is being developed to spot atrial fibrillation early in people who have had a stroke, using wearable heart-rate signals.
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Improving stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation in emergency departments
This study is looking at how to help doctors in emergency rooms prescribe blood thinners better for patients with atrial fibrillation, which can help lower the risk of stroke.
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Understanding Blood Thinners for Older Stroke Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
This project helps doctors choose the best blood thinner for older patients who have had a stroke and also have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.