Controlled pilot test of a translated cardiac rehabilitation education curriculum in percutaneous coronary intervention patients in a middle-income country delivered using WeChat: acceptability, engagement, satisfaction and preliminary outcomes

In China, despite the rapid increase in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is just burgeoning, leaving a need for comprehensive evidence-based education curricula. This pilot study assessed the acceptability of Simplified Chinese CR education delivered via booklets and videos on WeChat asynchronously and the impact on improving knowledge, risk factors, health behaviors and quality of life. In this pre-post, controlled, observational study, interested PCI patients received the 12-week intervention or usual care and WeChat without education. Participants completed validated surveys, including the Coronary Artery Disease Education-Questionnaire and Self-Management Scale. Acceptability (14 Likert-type items), engagement (minutes per week) and satisfaction were assessed in intervention participants. Ninety-six patients consented to participate (n = 49 intervention), of which 66 (68.8%) completed the follow-up assessments. Twenty-seven (77.1%) retained intervention participants engaged with the materials, rating content as highly acceptable (all means ≥4/5) and satisfactory (2.19 ± 0.48/3); those engaging more with the intervention were significantly more satisfied (P = 0.03). While participants in both groups achieved some improvements, only intervention participants had significant increases in disease-related knowledge, reductions in body mass index and triglycerides, as well as improvements in diet (all P < 0.05). In this first study validating the recently translated CR patient education intervention, acceptability and benefits have been supported.