Prospective Evaluation of the Effect of Smartphone Electrocardiogram
Usage on Anticoagulant Medication Compliance: Results of the Better
Outcomes of Anticoagulation Therapy by Observation of Atrial Rhythm
(BOAT-OAR) Study
Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction: Compliance with anticoagulation treatment for
atrial fibrillation is highly variable. Smartphone electrocardiograms
that allow patients to have greater insight into their arrhythmia burden
may improve anticoagulant compliance. Methods: Patients were enrolled if
they had atrial fibrillation with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2 or more,
were eligible for anticoagulation and had a smartphone. Participants
were randomly assigned to receive a smartphone electrocardiogram
(AliveCor, Kardia) to record their electrocardiograms 5 times/week or to
the control group. All patients received 6 months of anticoagulant
(apixaban) dispensed as 1-month pre-loaded pill boxes. Results: A total
of 100 patients were enrolled from July 2017 to August 2019, but 5
patients in the monitor arm and 1 in the control arm withdrew
prematurely. The monitor and control groups did not differ in age,
gender, CHA2DS2-VASc score, or comorbidities. Median medication
compliance was 99.7%, with non-significantly greater compliance in the
monitor group (100%) than in the control group (99.7%)
(p-value=0.247). There was also no significant difference between
missing any dose and use/nonuse of the smartphone monitor (48.9% vs.
55.1%; p-value=0.692). Mean monitor compliance was 86.8% ±14.0% with
an average of 4.34 recorded electrocardiograms per week. Monitor group
patients with perfect medication compliance had significantly higher
monitor compliance than those patients who missed doses (median, 95.3%
vs 86.7%; p-value=0.02). Conclusions: In a study population with
higher-than-expected medication compliance, the use of smartphone
electrocardiogram did not demonstrate an improvement in medication
compliance as compared to usual care. Greater monitor compliance was
associated with greater medication compliance.