Improving stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation in emergency departments
Official title: Optimizing Stroke Prophylaxis of Acute Atrial Fibrillation with an Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tool: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial Design
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11145021 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $297,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL157598-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145021 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults aged 21 and older who are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation while receiving care in an emergency department.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have atrial fibrillation or those who are not treated in emergency departments may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how to enhance the prescribing of oral anticoagulants for patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in emergency departments. It utilizes an electronic clinical decision support tool to empower healthcare providers to make timely and appropriate treatment decisions. By focusing on the acute care setting, the study aims to address the common issue of underprescribing anticoagulants, which can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. The approach involves a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial design to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in real-world emergency department settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a significant reduction in stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation treated in emergency departments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that clinical decision support tools can improve prescribing practices in acute care settings, indicating potential for success with this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kea, Bory — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Kea, Bory
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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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DECIDE-AF: a shared decision tool in your health portal to help prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation
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.
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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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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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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.