Association of mobile healthcare with hospitalization duration and satisfaction in stable coronary artery disease patients undergoing coronary angiography during public health emergencies: a retrospective cohort study using propensity score-based overlap weighting

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, with many patients requiring surgery facing shortages of medical resources or delays in medical services. This study aimed to examine the association of mobile healthcare (MH) with the hospitalization duration and satisfaction of stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) patients during the perioperative period amid COVID-19 prevention and control efforts. Methods This retrospective single-center study included 56 patients with SCAD who underwent coronary angiography at the Department of Cardiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Changzhou, China) between May 1 and May 31, 2020. According to whether they received mobile healthcare (MH) during the perioperative period, patients were divided into the new model group (NMG, n = 28), who received MH (educational materials on angina and follow-up plans), and the traditional model group (TMG, n = 28), who did not receive MH. Propensity score-based overlap weighting (ATO estimand) was used to control for confounding. A satisfaction survey was conducted via questionnaires and phone calls. The primary outcome was hospitalization duration, and the secondary outcomes were discharge satisfaction and satisfaction at 30 days after discharge. Results The NMG had a significantly shorter hospitalization duration (days) than did the TMG (6.82 ± 1.59 vs. 8.0 ± 1.91, P = 0.026). The new model was independently associated with hospitalization duration (OR = 0.226, 95% CI = 0.059–0.870, P = 0.031). All study participants completed the satisfaction survey. No significant difference in discharge satisfaction was observed between the two groups (weighted P = 0.20). Follow-up satisfaction was significantly higher in the NMG than in the TMG (weighted P = 0.004). In group-specific weighted GEE, satisfaction improved significantly from discharge to follow-up in the NMG (β = 0.358, P = 0.001) but not in the TMG (β = 0.143, P = 0.242); however, the treatment × time interaction was not statistically significant ( P = 0.160). Only the new model was independently associated with follow-up satisfaction (HR = 4.587, 95% CI = 1.331–15.810, P = 0.016), whereas discharge satisfaction was not (HR = 3.578, 95% CI = 0.508–25.170, P = 0.200). Conclusion This study suggests that establishing MH during public health emergencies may be associated with a shorter hospitalization duration and higher follow-up satisfaction among perioperative patients with SCAD. Given the single-center observational design and the relatively small sample size, these findings should be considered preliminary and warrant confirmation in larger, multicenter prospective studies. Trial registration Not applicable. This is a retrospective observational study; therefore, prospective trial registration was not required.