Working With Your AFib Care Team

Making decisions about your AFib care

Managing your AFib may feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. You, your caregiver and your health care professional can work together to make choices about your treatment. This is called shared decision-making. This includes the best way to manage your AFib and support your health goals.

How shared decision-making can improve your heart health:

• Improves your knowledge of your AFib
• Makes your health care team aware of your priorities and goals
• Makes it easier for you to follow your treatment plan
• Decreases concerns about your treatment plan
• Leads to better heart health
  
  

Shared Decision-Making for People Living With AFib (PDF)

Your AFib care team

If you have AFib, you will see many health care professionals to help you manage your care. Some will help you when you first start treatment. Others may join later to guide your care for health conditions related to AFib. Getting to know the members of your care team will make managing your AFib easier.

Health care professionals who treat AFib:

• Primary care professionals are trained to diagnose and treat many health conditions. They are often the first health care professionals you will see. They may refer you to specialists. They will also help coordinate your care with your team.
• Cardiologists are doctors who diagnose and treat conditions affecting your heart and blood vessels. They are involved in all stages of your care.
• Electrophysiologists focus on heart rhythm problems. They help diagnose AFib and guide your follow-up care.
• Emergency room doctors work in hospital ERs to stabilize and treat patients. If you go to an ER for a sudden health problem, they will treat you right away and refer you to specialists.
• Critical care doctors work in the intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals. They care for you if you’re in an ICU. They then refer you to other health care professionals for additional treatment.
• Hospitalists are doctors who treat patients in the hospital for care or recovering from surgery. They may work with critical care doctors in the ICU and refer you to other specialists.
• Cardiothoracic surgeons perform heart and other chest surgeries and provide follow-up care.

Learn about the roles of other health care professionals who may be a part of your care team. Meet the AFib Care Team (PDF).

Trusting your health care team

Good communication and regular medical visits help to build trust between you and your health care team.

If you aren’t comfortable with one of your health care professionals:

• Ask questions and share your preferences and opinions about your condition and treatment.
• Get a reference for a health care professional from someone you know and trust.
• You can ask to see someone else from the same clinic, a different office or even talk to a health care professional online. Resources for telehealth providers include:
  • Local health clinic
  • Your health insurance provider
  • Online searches

The more you trust your health care professionals and tell them what’s going on, the more they can help you.