Unplanned contacts managed by an advanced nurse practitioner after atrial fibrillation ablation

OBJECTIVE: To describe the care workload and consultation reasons related to unplanned contacts made by patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation to the advanced nurse practitioner in AF (ANP-AF). METHODS: A prospective, single-centre descriptive study was conducted between March 2022 and March 2023. During the pre-procedural visit (7-15 days before ablation), the ANP-AF provided individualized education and an unplanned contact channel for non-urgent concerns, available by telephone (8:00-20:00 h) and email. All contacts were consecutively recorded, documenting type and timing of contact, telephone call duration, reason for consultation, and basic patient demographics. RESULTS: A total of 250 AF ablations was performed, and 78 unplanned contacts were registered, corresponding to 31% of patients (1.5 contacts/week). Most contacts were made by women (55%), with a mean age of 65 ± 10 years. Telephone was the preferred communication method (95%), with a mean call duration of 9 ± 3 minutes. Twenty contacts (25%) occurred before ablation and 58 (75%) within the 12 months after the procedure. The median contact time was 11:30 h (IQR: 10:00-14:45). The most frequent reasons for consultation were AF recurrences (21%), complementary test requests (21%), post-procedural complications (19%), and questions regarding pharmacological treatment (15%). CONCLUSIONS: One in three patients undergoing AF ablation makes an unplanned contact with the APNP-AF. Systematic identification of consultation reasons may help optimize pre- and post-ablation education and strengthen continuity of care.