OBJECTIVES: Construct the disease management model for patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) in Greece, according to initial therapeutic approach. METHODS: The analysis was based on data from patient records of 149 geographically distributed cardiologists, extracted via strictly structured questionnaire-based interviews. Participants were requested to categorize patients according to initial AF approach, i.e. pharmacological or non-pharmacological (interventional) treatment option. Discrete sets of answers were provided for each patient group. RESULTS: A pharmacological therapy was the initial treatment approach for 89.6% of patients (rhythm control: 59.5%, rate control: 40.5%), whereas 5.2% had initially undergone non-pharmacological therapy, mainly catheter ablation (96% of cases). The remaining 5.2% received no treatment. Patients on rhythm control were mainly prescribed a Class-III (28.9%), Class-Ic (28.9%) or Class-II anti-arrhythmic agent, whereas 13.4% received a combination. In the rate control group, the treatments of choice were b-blockers (37.0%) and digoxin (24.2%). The majority of patients, also, received anti-thrombotic medication (89.0%, 91.3% and 100% for rhythm control, rate control and non-pharmacological treatment, respectively). The most frequently performed diagnostic procedures across groups, on an annual basis, were INR monitoring (8.3-11.5 tests/year), echocardiogram (4.0-4.4), liver (1.8-2.0) and renal function tests (1.7-1.9) and Holter monitoring (1.4-1.6). On average 4.3, 4.0 and 3.1 consultations/year with a cardiologist are necessary for the monitoring of patients on rhythm, rate control and non-pharmacological treatment respectively. Annual hospitalization rates for patients under rhythm control were 20% due to AF recurrence, 13% due to cardiovascular complications and 5.63% due to drug adverse reactions. For patients under rate control, the corresponding percentages were 6%, 6.13% and 4% and for those under non-pharmacological therapy 18.75%, 3% and 4.86% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacological rhythm control appears to be the prevailing initial AF treatment option in Greece. AF management requires an intense monitoring pattern, given that it can lead to increased frequency of hospitalizations.