Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
HA Young Investigators Session (Projects to be presented by HA staff who had joined HA for 10 years or less)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan HY(1), Lok WC(2), Liu KK(3), So WY(4), Tam YL(3)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Medicine, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
(2) Cardiac Care Unit, Department of Medicine, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
(3) Cardiac Care Unit, Department of Medicine, North District Hospital
(4) Community Outreach Services Team, North District Hospital
Introduction :
The rapid expansion of telehealth technologies in healthcare settings worldwide has allowed for remote delivery of healthcare services and transfer of clinical information. Also, COVID-19 crisis aggravated the importance of telemedicine. In Hong Kong, the success of eHealth and the "HA Go" mobile application (app) has improved communication between the Hospital Authority (HA), patients, and private settings. For patients with myocardial infarction (MI), the first 6-week after the acute event is crucial for their prognosis. Promoting self-monitoring and management through mobile devices and social apps help reduce the risk of recurrent MI and improve patients' quality of life.
As a result, we design this project and aim to promote and facilitate self-monitoring and management of discharged MI patients through health education with the use of mobile device apps.
This project is significant for several reasons:
Improve the quality of life of MI patients by empowering them to take an active role in their health management.
Reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and hospitalization by improving medication adherence and lifestyle modifications.
Economic benefits by reducing healthcare costs associated with recurrent hospitalization and medication non-adherence.
Objectives :
To carry out a project “Mobile Health for Self-Monitoring And Management of Patients With Myocardial Infarction” in Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHNH) and North District Hospital (NDH)’s Cardiac Care Units (CCUs)
To facilitate and enhance MI patients’ confidence in self-monitoring and management
To strengthen patients’ drug compliance
To evaluate the feedback and effectiveness of mobile health interventions in AHNH and NDH
Methodology :
The study recruited newly diagnosed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients from Cardiac Care Units in North District Hospital (NDH) and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHNH).
The study provided a comprehensive education on AMI to enhance patients' knowledge of their condition, such as the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease, symptoms, risk factors, and related treatment. Emphasis was placed on the importance of self-monitoring and lifestyle modifications post-discharge, including diet control, exercise, smoking cessation, and alcohol moderation. A low-fat, low-salt diet and cardiac rehabilitation were reinforced by respective allied health professionals.
To facilitate self-monitoring, patients were encouraged and guided to install the "HA Go" app designed by HA. During the first 2-week post-discharge period, patients were contacted via communication apps to collect data. Furthermore, a post-intervention assessment was conducted, where patients’ understanding of the disease, current condition, treatment plan, and confidence in self-management were reassessed.
Result & Outcome :
The mean score of the understanding of their disease, current condition and treatment plan in the questionnaire increased from 5.09 to 7.85 which was a 54% improvement. Regarding the confidence in self-management of MI, the mean score increased from 5.05 to 7.90 which was a 56% improvement. The overall satisfaction scored 8.4/10 mean score.
