Episodic Future Thinking to Improve Anticoagulant Adherence in Atrial Fibrillation

Participants (N = 68) will be randomly assigned to either an episodic future thinking (EFT) group or attention control group. We will use stratified block randomization. The randomization will be stratified by study site. Within each site, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated random allocation sequence with variable block sizes (e.g., 4 and 6). A research assistant not involved in recruitment or assessment will generate the sequence. To ensure allocation concealment, sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes will be prepared according to the generated sequence. After obtaining consent and confirming eligibility, the enrolling investigator will open the next consecutive envelope in the presence of the participant to assign them to a group.

Participants in the intervention group will receive episodic future thinking intervention in addition to the routine health care. The intervention consists of three sessions. In session 1 (on discharge day), the researcher will first provide face-to-face health education on atrial fibrillation-related stroke prevention and a video on the same topics for participants. The health education cover four topics: 1) definition and causes of atrial fibrillation; 2) atrial fibrillation and stroke risk; 3) anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention; 4) management of comorbidities and risk factors of atrial fibrillation.Then, participants will be instructed to generate individualized episodic future events by visualizing events that will happen or be planned to happen in the coming 1, 3, 6, and 12 months respectively. Participants will be guided to think the long-term impacts (including the benefits and consequences) of adhering or not adhering to oral anticoagulants on their health when imagining future scenario events. The detailed future scenario events imagined by the participants will be condensed into brief narrative statements and also matched with pictures to form text-based and picture-based cues respectively. During Session 2 (weeks 1-3 post-discharge), researchers will administer these cues to participants via WeChat, with two cues per day for the first week followed by one cue per day for the week 2 to week 3. Participants will be asked to complete episodic future thinking task by re-imagining the episodic event based on the content of the cues received within 24 hours. A total of three reminders including a first message reminder within six hours and a second message within 12 hours will be sent to participants to remind them complete the task if no response received in the required time frame. A nonresponse will be recorded if participants did not complete the task 24 hours later the first prompt was sent. Participants will be also encouraged to practice EFT to enhance their adherence to anticolagulation by themselves at home. Participants in the intervention group also will receive weekly education on atrial fibrillation-related stroke prevention. The topics of education are the same with the first session, with topic 1-2 for week 1, topic 3 for week 2, and topic 4 for week 3. In session 3 ( follow-up after the intervention), participants will be followed up once a month by researchers via WeChat or telephone. During each follow-up, adherence to oral anticoagulant will be assessed and issues relating to the management of the illness will be identified and addressed. Any emergent conditions such as major bleeding relating to anticoagulation will be referred to physicians.

The control group will receive usual care, including brief information on atrial fibrilation from ward nurses and one post-discharge telephone follow-up. To reduce potential attention bias, the control group will receive greeting calls from researcher during follow-up with same frequency as the intervention group. In each greeting call, the research will only make greetings or give general information on the illness to participants, no health education will be delivered, and health problems will be addressed.

Data on adherence to anticoagulation, delay discounting and anticoagulation knowledge will be collected at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), as well at 3-month follow up (T2). Trained outcome assessors, blinded to group allocation and independent of all other trial procedures, will perform all endpoint evaluations.

Inclusion criteria

• Meets diagnostic criteria for atrial fibrillation per the Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation, with clinically stable condition
• Current or previous use of oral anticoagulants
• Age ≥18 years
• Capable of using WeChat mobile application
• Willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Comorbid severe impairment of major organ systems or end-stage disease
• Significant visual or auditory impairments
• Documented cognitive dysfunction or psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)