Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
One year healthcare consumption prior to sudden cardiac death
Authors' conclusion
This study highlights significant variability in healthcare use during the year preceding SCD. Nearly half of patients had frequent healthcare contacts, suggesting opportunities for earlier identification and prevention.
Study context
- Population
- Sudden cardiac death (SCD) cases collected from the Paris Sudden Death Expertise Centre (SDEC) from 2011 to 2020SCD included in the study
- Participants
- 21,912 cases
- Comparison
- The SDEC population was compared with national-level data from the French population, categorized as either above or below the population average, across 2 dimensions: number of hospital diagnoses (primary diagnosis or emergency room visit) and outpatient visits (general practitioner or cardiologist visit)
- Outcome
- Healthcare consumption patterns compared with the general population
- Follow-up
- Year prior to SCD
Methodological detailselectronic health records from the French National Health Insurance System, compared with national-level data from the French population
- Electronic health records from the French National Health Insurance System
- Compared with national-level data from the French population
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
| Group | Value | Outpatient visits | Inpatient visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-interaction group | 14% | 3.8 times fewer | 13.5 times fewer |
| Intermediate group | 40% | 1.5 times fewer | 5.8 times more |
| High-interaction group | 46% | 2.7 times more | 7.9 times more |
Value
Low-interaction group14%
Intermediate group40%
High-interaction group46%
Outpatient visits
Low-interaction group3.8 times fewer
Intermediate group1.5 times fewer
High-interaction group2.7 times more
Inpatient visits
Low-interaction group13.5 times fewer
Intermediate group5.8 times more
High-interaction group7.9 times more
Original publication
One year healthcare consumption prior to sudden cardiac death. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. Published 30 September 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it