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  2. Screening versus...
  3. Re: Detecting Atrial Fibrillation in general practice - the hidden price

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Research

Screening versus routine practice in detection of atrial fibrillation in patients aged 65 or over: cluster randomised controlled trial

BMJ 2007; 335 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39280.660567.55 (Published 23 August 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;335:383

Rapid Response:

Re: Detecting Atrial Fibrillation in general practice - the hidden price

Might I suggest Dr Thornett actually reads the paper! The SAFE study
concludes that opportunistic screening, using pulse taking and only ECG
for those with an irregular pulse is the most cost-effective method of
screening and actually discourages the routine use of population based ECG
screening.

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

31 August 2007
DA Fitzmaurice
Professor of Primary Care
University of Birmingham B15 2TT