Effectiveness of 'Internet Plus' remote management in improving cardiac rehabilitation outcomes in acute myocardial infarction patients.

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated the effectiveness of "Internet Plus" remote management in enhancing cardiac rehabilitation outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

A total of 101 AMI patients post-PCI from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital were included between December 2021 and November 2022. Patients were retrospectively categorized into two groups based on the type of care they received: the control group receiving standard post-PCI rehabilitation, and the observation group receiving remote management via "Internet Plus" for six months. Assessed outcomes included the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) scores, exercise rehabilitation compliance, mental health scores using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and rates of major cardiovascular events and unplanned rehospitalizations.

RESULTS

No significant baseline differences were observed between the two groups. The observation group exhibited significantly longer 6MWT distances and higher DASI scores at subsequent follow-ups (all P < 0.05). Rehabilitation compliance was also higher in the observation group, with 91.49% achieving excellent compliance compared to 72.34% in the control group (P < 0.05). Mental health improvements were also noted, with the observation group showing lower SAS and SDS scores at the three-month follow-up (both P < 0.05). The incidence of major cardiovascular events was 11.11% in the observation group, significantly lower than 27.66% in the control group (P = 0.034). The incidence of unplanned rehospitalization rates was 7.41% in the observation group, also significantly lower than 23.40% in the control group (P = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

The "Internet Plus" remote management significantly enhances exercise tolerance, cardiac rehabilitation compliance, and mental health while reducing the incidences of adverse cardiovascular events and rehospitalizations in AMI patients post-PCI. These findings suggest that integrating digital technology into cardiac rehabilitation programs can effectively improve patient outcomes.