SYMPHONY
AI-powered care plan enhances Atrial Fibrillation management and reduces stroke risk
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting approximately 60 million people worldwide 1 . Patients with AF face a significantly increased risk of stroke 2 and often use blood thinners and antiarrhythmic drugs to mitigate this risk and manage the condition. However, in the Netherlands, an estimated 6% of patients do not fully adhere to their prescribed medication plan 3. Healthcare providers often lack tools and time to track if patients take their medication, to provide timely checks, and to offer emotional and educational support.
The use case developed within the ITEA project SYMPHONY in collaboration with Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) introduces a specialised care plan tailored specifically for AF patients. This solution integrates AF-focused medical data collection and storage, an interactive chatbot, and access to targeted knowledge resources. These components streamline patient management and enable structured follow-ups to monitor AF progression effectively. The chatbot, powered by a proprietary Large Language Model (LLM), offers secure, personalised support, delivering educational information on AF, reminders for patient-specific goals and tasks, and encouragement to adhere to the care plan.
The SYMPHONY solution improves medication adherence and overall patient engagement, improving quality of life, reducing symptoms, and lowering the risk of stroke 4. In the UK, the annual cost of caring for an AF patient is approximately 1,200 euros 5, with monitoring (15% of costs) and hospital admissions (60% of costs) due to complications like stroke. By promoting adherence to medications and care plans through AI-driven follow-ups, this approach reduces these costs and relieves the pressure on healthcare systems. Moreover, it saves time and resources for healthcare providers, and while transforming AF care, ultimately lessening the burden of managing chronic conditions for both patients and clinicians.
More information:
https://itea4.org/project/symphony.html
https://symphony-iteaproject.eu/