The following is a summary of “Randomized Trial of Remote Assessment of Patients After an Acute Coronary Syndrome,” published in the June 2024 issue of Cardiology by Alshahrani et al.
Telemedicine programs offer remote diagnostic support to improve clinical decisions and potentially lower unplanned readmissions after Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).
Researchers conducted a prospective study comparing telemedicine-based care with standard care for patients with ACS.
They enrolled patients with at least one cardiovascular risk factor and ACS, randomly assigning them (1:1) before discharge. The primary focus was time to first readmission at 6 months, with secondary outcomes covering ED visits, major adverse cardiovascular events, and patients’ reported symptoms. Time to readmission was analyzed using intention to treat.
The results showed that 337 patients with an average age of 58.1 years were randomized (January 2022 to April 2023), with a 3.6% drop-out rate. The telemedicine group showed a reduced rate of readmission over 6 months (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.44, P<0.001), fewer ED visits (HR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.89), and less unplanned coronary revascularizations (3% vs. 9%). Additionally, at 6 months, chest pain (9% vs. 24%), breathlessness (21% vs. 39%), and dizziness (6% vs. 18%) were less frequent in the telemedicine group.
Investigators concluded that telemedicine for post-ACS care reduced hospital readmissions, ED visits, unplanned coronary revascularization, and patient-reported symptoms.
Source: jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.03.398
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