Working With Your AFib Care Team
Shared Decision-Making For People Living With AFib
Managing your AFib may feel overwhelming, but shared decision-making can help you and your health care professional figure out the best plan for you. Shared decision-making is when you (and possibly your caregiver) and your health care professional work together to make choices about your treatment to support your health goals, including the best way to manage your AFib.
How shared decision-making can improve your heart health:
- Improvement in your knowledge and understanding of your AFib
- Greater awareness by your health care team of your priorities and goals
- Increased likelihood of you following through with your treatment plan
- Decreased concerns and feeling unsure about your treatment plan
- Improved cardiovascular outcomes
Shared Decision-Making for People Living With AFib (PDF)
Your AFib Care Team
If you’re diagnosed with AFib, you will meet several health care professionals to help you manage different aspects of your care. Some will assist at the beginning of your treatment, while others may join later to guide care for other health conditions related to AFib. Getting to know the different professionals will make AFib management easier.
Health care professionals who treat AFib:
- Primary care providers are trained to diagnose and treat a range of health conditions. They are often the first health care professionals you will meet, and they may refer you to specialists for further care. They will also help coordinate your care among your team.
- Cardiologists are specialists who diagnose and treat conditions affecting your heart and blood vessels. They are involved in all stages of your care.
- Electrophysiologists specialize in heart rhythm conditions. They help diagnose AFib and guide your follow-up care.
- Emergency room physicians work in hospital emergency rooms to stabilize and treat patients. If you have to go to the hospital for a sudden health problem, they will treat you immediately and then refer you to other specialists.
- Critical care physicians work in the intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals. They care for you while you’re in an ICU, and then refer you to other health care professionals for further treatment.
- Hospitalists are doctors who treat patients while they are in the hospital for treatment or while recovering from surgery. They may work with critical care physicians in the ICU and refer you to other specialists.
- Cardiothoracic surgeons operate on your heart or other chest organs. They manage surgical procedures and follow-up care after surgery.
Learn about the roles of other health care professionals who may be a part of your care team. Meet the AFib Care Team (PDF).
