Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Introduction
Timely recognition and appropriate response to heart attack symptoms are critical in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Educational strategies that promote self-care may improve outcomes.
Hypothesis
We hypothesized that using an interactive avatar application, in addition to standard education, would improve self-care behaviors and symptom response in patients with coronary heart disease.
Methods
A non-blinded, two-arm randomized controlled trial included 78 coronary heart disease patients discharged from a cardiac ICU. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group (avatar app + conventional education) or a control group (conventional education only). The app featured education on symptom recognition, response actions to symptoms, and daily self-care. Data were collected at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups using the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory and the Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Response Index. Analyses included chi-square tests, t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Results
At 3 months, the intervention group showed significantly higher self-care and symptom response scores compared to controls (P < 0.05). All patients in the intervention group (100%) appropriately ceased activity and used sublingual nitroglycerin after the onset of symptoms, versus 80% in the control group.
Conclusions
The interactive avatar application effectively improved coronary heart disease patients’ knowledge, self-care behaviors, and symptom response. This digital tool may serve as a scalable, engaging complement to traditional cardiac education. Future studies should assess its long-term impact and potential for integration into routine care to enhance outcomes and reduce delays in treatment.