On April 13, 2026, the AFFIRMO RCT study protocol was presented as part of the course on Introduction to Research and Medical Statistic for first-year students at the University of Padua School of Specialisation in Geriatrics.  

AFFIRMO as a case study: 

The session was led by Marianna Noale, researcher at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and researcher within the AFFIRMO project in WP2. The first part of the lecture provided an overview of the key theoretical and methodological foundations involved in designing and evaluating a research protocol. 

In the second part of the session, the RCT AFFIRMO Protocol was presented as a practical case study. This enabled participants to connect theoretical concepts with real-world application, illustrating the processes involved in the development, assessment, and implementation of a structured research protocol. The presentation was based on the study protocol described in the "Integrated Care Management for Older Multimorbid Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics for the Atrial Fibrillation Integrated Approach in Frail, Multimorbid and Polymedicated Older People (AFFIRMO) trial" paper published in the American Heart Journal.  

The lecture was attended by 16 students and fostered an interactive learning environment. It also represented an important opportunity for dissemination within an academic and training setting, bringing AFFIRMO project’s methodology and research approach directly into medical education.