Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Approximately half of patients with AF and at risk of stroke do not receive oral anticoagulation, despite its demonstrable reduction of stroke risk. Low adherence to anticoagulation medications may be a result of limited knowledge of AF among patients; hence, a validated instrument to assess AF knowledge is warranted. Cross-sectional surveys evaluating AF knowledge revealed the availability of instruments in the literature, but no systematic review has hitherto been conducted to characterize them.
Objective: The objective of this study is to collate all validated instruments assessing AF knowledge.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted. CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to May 25, 2018. Study selection and data extraction were conducted by 2 reviewers, from which results are presented narratively.
Results: Based on 407 records retrieved from the databases, 15 studies were included, from which 7 questionnaires assessing AF knowledge were identified. The number of items ranged from 8 to 58. All the questionnaires were content validated, and some also examined other validities and reliabilities.
Conclusion: In the literature, 7 validated questionnaires are available for assessing AF knowledge, in which the items often cover knowledge of AF in general, symptoms, treatments, and complications.