Failure of current public educational campaigns to impact on the initial response of patients with possible heart
J H N Bett1, A M Tonkin, P L Thompson
1Department of Cardiology, Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. n.bett@bigpond.net.au
Insights
Media campaigns did not reduce patient delays in seeking help for myocardial infarction symptoms. New strategies are essential to decrease delays and improve outcomes for heart attack patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early restoration of blood flow in myocardial infarction (MI) is critical for survival and heart function.
- The National Heart Foundation of Australia initiated media campaigns to reduce patient-related delays in seeking medical help for MI symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of public media campaigns on patient delay in seeking treatment for myocardial infarction.
- To assess changes in patient delay over time in response to Heart Foundation initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Four national surveys conducted between 1996 and 2002.
- Data collected from 1665 patients presenting to 73 Australian hospitals.
- Analysis focused on patient delay, with information available for 1178 patients.
Main Results:
- No significant reduction in patient delay was observed across the four surveys (median delay 1.5-2.0 hours).
- Patient delay remained consistent regardless of age, sex, diagnosis, or prior cardiac procedures.
Conclusions:
- Public media campaigns have not effectively reduced patient delay in seeking care for suspected myocardial infarction.
- Novel strategies are required to address and shorten patient-related delays in the context of acute coronary syndromes.
Aims:
The National Heart Foundation of Australia recognizes that the risk of lethal arrhythmias is greater very early after the onset of myocardial infarction and that the more promptly flow can be restored in the infarct-related artery the greater will be the benefits for survival and preservation of heart function. The Heart Foundation has therefore conducted several public media campaigns to encourage patients to seek help more promptly and evaluated their impact.
Methods:
Since 1996, we have conducted four surveys of delays preceding admission of patients to coronary care units throughout Australia to assess the impact of the Heart Foundation's media campaigns. Data were collected on 1665 patients who presented to 73 hospitals; information on patient delay was available for 1178 of them.
Results:
There were no significant differences in patient delay (median 1.5-2.0 h) in the four surveys from 1996 to 2002, nor when patients were categorized by age, sex, presenting diagnosis or history of previous myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization by percutaneous or surgical techniques.
Conclusion:
New approaches are needed to reduce patient-related delay after the onset of symptoms suggesting possible myocardial infarction.
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