Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Relationship Between Social Deprivation and Access to Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Level Study
Authors' conclusion
In a jurisdiction with universal health care, greater material deprivation and residential instability were associated with more AF diagnoses but less access to ablation, suggesting substantial social gradients in equitable access to AF care.
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Ontario, Canada, April 2016–March 2020AF cohort
- Participants
- 146,366 patients
- Exposure
- Social deprivation dimensions vs rates of AF diagnoses, ablation referrals and procedures
- Outcome
- Rates of AF diagnoses, ablation referrals and procedures, and their association with social deprivation
Methodological details49 census divisions, Ontario Marginalization Index
- 49 census divisions
- Ontario Marginalization Index
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of deprivation with AF diagnoses, ablation referrals and procedures
- Material deprivation: AF diagnoses, RR
- 1.13
- Material deprivation: ablation referrals, RR
- 0.49
- Material deprivation: ablation procedures, RR
- 0.48
- Residential instability: AF diagnoses, RR
- 1.02
- Residential instability: ablation referrals, RR
- 0.63
- Residential instability: ablation procedures, RR
- 0.64
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Concordance between AF diagnoses, ablation referrals and procedures
- Geographic variation; weak concordance (correlation coefficients)
- 0.33-0.36
Ablation referrals and procedures
- Patients referred for ablation
- 6,506
- Patients undergoing de novo ablation
- 4,673
Original publication
Relationship Between Social Deprivation and Access to Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Level Study. JACC Adv. Published 18 November 2024. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it