{"id":7034,"date":"2025-05-22T13:19:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T10:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/?p=7034"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:19:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T10:19:15","slug":"what-is-an-af-center-of-excellence-af-coe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/what-is-an-af-center-of-excellence-af-coe\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an AF Center of Excellence (AF CoE)?"},"content":{"rendered":"
What is an AF Center of Excellence (AF CoE)?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
An AF CoE is a special medical center that gives the best care to patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) \u2014 a common heart rhythm problem.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Why do we need AF CoEs?<\/div>\n
\u2022 AF is now a very common and serious heart problem around the world.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Many hospitals treat AF in different ways, and not all follow the best medical guidelines.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 AF CoEs help to standardize care and give high-quality treatment in a safe, organized way.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Main Goals of AF Care (the \u201c3 Pillars\u201d)<\/div>\n
1. Prevent Stroke \u2013 by giving blood thinners when needed.<\/span><\/div>\n
2. Control Symptoms \u2013 using medicines or procedures to slow the heart or bring it back to normal rhythm.<\/span><\/div>\n
3. Manage Risk Factors \u2013 such as high blood pressure, diabetes, weight, sleep problems, smoking, and alcohol.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This is based on the latest U.S. and European guidelines.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Who Works in an AF CoE?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
A team of different specialists work together, such as:<\/div>\n
\u2022 Heart doctors (cardiologists and electrophysiologists)<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Family doctors<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Stroke and sleep doctors<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Nurses and pharmacists<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Dietitians and psychologists.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What Should an AF CoE Do?<\/div>\n
\u2022 Diagnose AF early \u2013 using ECG, smart watches, or implantable devices.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Make a care plan for each patient \u2013 based on symptoms and risks.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Use clear pathways \u2013 for hospital, clinic, or emergency care.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Provide ablation and device treatments \u2013 if needed.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Follow up regularly \u2013 to check rhythm, symptoms, and medicine.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Collect and review data \u2013 to improve results.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Patient Education is Very Important<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Patients and families must learn:<\/div>\n
\u2022 What AF is<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 What treatments are available<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 When to call the doctor<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 How to prevent stroke<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 How to live a healthy lifestyle<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This can be taught using videos, apps, brochures, or in-person classes.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Different Types of Hospitals Can Join<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Even if a hospital does not offer every treatment, it can work with others in an AF Cooperative network. Together, they make sure patients get complete care.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
How Do We Know an AF CoE is Doing a Good Job?<\/div>\n
\u2022 The center should measure success (like fewer strokes, better quality of life).<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 It should have regular team meetings to improve care.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 It can join national or international registries to compare and learn from others.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Final Message<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
AF Centers of Excellence are built to:<\/div>\n
\u2022 Give better, safer care<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Help patients live longer and healthier lives<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022 Use the right treatment, at the right time, by the right person<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
They are a team effort that combines education, organization, and quality care.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Source:<\/div>\n
Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), 2024<\/div>\n
Published in Heart Rhythm Journal, April 2024<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is an AF Center of Excellence (AF CoE)? An AF CoE is a special medical center that gives the best care to patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) \u2014 a common heart rhythm problem. Why do we need AF CoEs? \u2022 AF is now a very common and serious heart problem around the world. \u2022 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7034"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7036,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7034\/revisions\/7036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jordan-cardiac.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}