Abstract 20128: Addressing a Prominent Old Problem With an Innovative Approach to Reduce Care-seeking Delays in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Study Protocol and Feasibility Report
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Li, Polly Wai-chi; Yu, Doris Sau-fung
- Source
- Circulation. Nov 14, 2017 136(Suppl_1 Suppl 1):A20128-A20128
- Subject
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0009-7322
Introduction: Prolonged delay by patients in making care-seeking decision remains the most significant limiting factor for effective management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) despite decades of research.Methods: This study adopted a mixed-method design, which included a pilot randomized controlled trial and an exploratory qualitative study. The study aimed to explore the feasibility of a modelling-based narrative intervention on care-seeking behavioral intention and prehospital care-seeking delays among AMI patients. We adopted an eclectic behavioral modelling-based intervention to optimize patients’ care-seeking behaviors by a narrative approach with story-telling to engage patients in a mental rehearsal for the decision-making process to care-seeking, through which to create a virtual but vivid learning experience. A total of 56 adult patients with a recent history of AMI were recruited from the cardiac clinic of a regional hospital in Hong Kong. These patients were randomly allocated to receive either the modelling-based narrative intervention or a didactic education.Results: Patients in the intervention group reported higher care-seeking behavioral intention upon symptom occurrence, though the knowledge on AMI symptoms between the two groups was not significant. The acceptability of the modelling-based narrative intervention was high among the participants. They considered the intervention as interesting and informative. Over 90% of the participants in the intervention group expressed that they enjoyed the intervention and 82% attended all sessions.Conclusions: This study is the first of its kind to adopt a behavioral modelling and narrative approach to optimize care-seeking behaviors among patients with AMI. The preliminary findings showed that this approach was well received by patients. Longer term effects in reducing prehospital delay is yet to be determined.