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E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Use of WeChat-based patient-doctor interaction improves patient experience of Helicobacter pylori treatment: a
Boshen Lin1,2,3, Wenlin Zhang1,2,3, Jinghui Zhang1,2,3
1Department of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Introduction:
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy often involves complex medication regimens and may be accompanied by adverse events, which can negatively affect treatment outcomes and experience. Effective patient-doctor communication may help address these challenges. This study primarily aimed to evaluate whether a WeChat-based patient-doctor interaction (WPDI) system could improve H. pylori treatment outcomes while simultaneously enhancing patient experience.
Methods:
In this prospective, open-label randomized controlled trial, treatment-naïve H. pylori-infected patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a WPDI group or a control group. All participants received routine patient education and a 14-day vonoprazan-containing quadruple therapy. In addition to routine education, patients in the WPDI group were invited to participate in a physician-moderated WeChat group that allowed real-time communication and consultation during treatment. Patient experience, compliance, and adverse events were assessed through a standardized telephone interview after completion of therapy, and H. pylori eradication was confirmed by a 13C-urea breath test six weeks after treatment. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov. (No. NCT04850209).
Results:
In total, 438 patients were enrolled for randomization. The WPDI group achieved eradication rates of 90.4% (198/219), 93.4% (198/212), and 94.2% (194/206), as evaluated by intention-to-treat, modified intention-to-treat, and per-protocol analysis, respectively. The eradication rates were comparable to those in the control group (89.5% [196/219], 93.3% [196/210], and 94.6% [192/203]. The assessment results of patient experience showed that more patients voted that the treatment was satisfactory or very satisfactory in the WPDI group (90.3% vs. 74.9%; P < 0.001), whereas more participants tended to feel worried (16.0% vs. 26.1%; P = 0.012) and perturbed (11.7% vs. 22.7%; P = 0.003) during the treatment period in the control group. The two groups exhibited similar levels of compliance and adverse events.
Conclusions:
The WeChat-based patient-doctor interaction improved patient experience of H. pylori eradication therapy significantly while the treatment outcomes were not promoted significantly.
Clinical Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04850209.
