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.