Does intermittent screening for atrial fibrillation with a single-lead electrocardiogram reduce the risk of stroke?
The SAFER programme is an ongoing comprehensive research initiative evaluating whether intermittent single-lead ECG screening for atrial fibrillation reduces stroke and other major clinical outcomes.
This article describes the SAFER (Screening for Atrial Fibrillation with ECG to Reduce stroke) programme that was established to determine whether intermittent screening for atrial fibrillation with a single-lead electrocardiogram reduces the risk of stroke and other key outcomes such as death, dementia and cardiovascular disease. The programme comprises feasibility studies, a pilot trial, a randomised controlled trial, qualitative studies and an economic analysis. Recruitment and screening for the trial have been completed, and it is anticipated that follow-up will finish in 2027.
Mant et al. (Wed,) studied this question.