The Effectiveness of the Smartphone-Based WeChat Platform on Reducing Time to Diagnosis and Treatment of ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the smartphone-based WeChat platform in reducing the ischemia time of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: A total of 198 STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January 2022 to August 2022 in our hospital were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether their electrocardiograms (ECGs) were posted on the WeChat platform. The two groups were compared for the following: diagnosis time of first ECG, time from first medical contact (FMC) to catheterization laboratory (CL) activity, bypass emergency department (ED) or critical care unit (CCU), time of door to wire, time of door to balloon, time of FMC to wire, heart failure during hospitalization, cardiogenic shock during hospitalization, malignant arrhythmia during hospitalization, death during hospitalization, total hospital cost, and length of stay. Results: The diagnosis time for the first ECG was 10.05 ± 3.30 mins in the control group and 2.50 ± 0.82 mins in the WeChat group (p < 0.05). The time from FMC to CL activity was significantly shorter in the WeChat group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). None of the control group patients bypassed the ED, compared to 80 (80%) of patients in the WeChat group (p < 0.05). The time from door to wire was 60.22 ± 12.73 mins in the WeChat group and 92.56 ± 20.23 mins in the control group (p < 0.05). The time of FMC to wire was also significantly shorter in the WeChat group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The WeChat group had a significantly lower rate of heart failure during hospitalization than the control group (p < 0.05). However, the two groups showed no significant differences for cardiogenic shock during hospitalization, malignant arrhythmia during hospitalization, death during hospitalization, total hospital cost, and length of stay. Conclusions: The smartphone-based WeChat platform demonstrated high efficacy and accessibility in reducing the ischemia time for STEMI patients. Our results indicate that social media platforms such as WeChat could be a useful approach for improving the prognosis of cardiovascular disease.