6th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference: Integrating new approaches to atrial fibrillation in an era of digital evolution

from 7th to 9th January 2017 at the European Society of Cardiology headquarters in Sophia Antipolis, France

The CATCH ME consortium was the official sponsor of this biannual conference uniting 80 leading experts on Atrial Fibrillation from across Europe to discuss current issues, research findings and future trends.
 
A dedicated CATCH ME session comprising presentations on findings from the CATCH ME consortium were presented to the delegates. All presentations from the conference can be found here.
 

CATCH ME Apps
In addition, the new CATCH ME Apps (one for healthcare professionals and one for patients), were pre-launched at the conference to allow these leaders in the field of Atrial Fibrillation to test and provide feedback. All delegates received a flyer explaining the function of the Apps and information in the AFNET/EHRA e-communication on where to find them, how to download and where to provide feedback.

Manuscript
The outcomes of the conference were summarized in the manuscript "Integrating new approaches to atrial fibrillation management: the 6th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference" by the CATCH ME partners Dipak Kotecha (UOB), Winnie W L Chua (UOB), Larissa Fabritz (UOB), Barbara Casadei (UOXF), Ulrich Schotten (UM), Doreen Haase (AFNET) and Paulus Kirchhof (UOB) and others which was published in EP Europace January 2nd 2018.
 

Abstract
"There are major challenges ahead for clinicians treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The population with AF is expected to expand considerably and yet, apart from anticoagulation, therapies used in AF have not been shown to consistently impact on mortality or reduce adverse cardiovascular events. New approaches to AF management, including the use of novel technologies and structured, integrated care, have the potential to enhance clinical phenotyping or result in better treatment selection and stratified therapy. Here, we report the outcomes of the 6th Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), held at the European Society of Cardiology Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France, 17–19 January 2017. Sixty-two global specialists in AF and 13 industry partners met to develop innovative solutions based on new approaches to screening and diagnosis, enhancing integration of AF care, developing clinical pathways for treating complex patients, improving stroke prevention strategies, and better patient selection for heart rate and rhythm control. Ultimately, these approaches can lead to better outcomes for patients with AF."
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