Role of web-based programs in heart disease prevention and rehabilitation in the covid-19 era

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading noncommunicable cause of mortality and morbidity globally. In-person education and awareness programs conducted as part of the CVD prevention efforts have either come to a standstill or have been replaced by web-based programs in the COVID-19 era. This study describes the design and execution of web-based programs to improve awareness and educate cardiac patients during the pandemic. Methods: All web-based education/awareness sessions conducted since the start of the government-enforced lockdown in India till date (23 March-10 September 2020) were included. A multidisciplinary team consisting of Physician, Physiotherapist and Dietician worked completely online to maintain continuity of service to previously enrolled patients and to develop comprehensive web-based programs for newly enrolling patients. Patient education sessions were incorporated into the homebased CVD prevention/rehabilitation programs, which also consisted of supervised exercise sessions. Web-based awareness programs about CVD prevention strategies during the pandemic were provided to corporate employees, paying special attention to the psychosocial challenges of working from home, and to the general public. Google Meet or Zoom was used for the audiovisual presentation followed by discussion. Results: Our team provided 28 web-based education sessions and 6 awareness webinars for a total of 185 individuals during this period. The topics covered are provided in the Table. The enrolees and their family members actively participated in the sessions and interacted during the discussion. The feedback was that the communication was clear and that the online sessions were effective. The only barrier was the occasional technical snag or connectivity issue, which hindered the continuity of the session briefly. Conclusion: There has been a huge sea change in the way healthcare has been delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic and CVD prevention services are no exception. Web-based programs with online sessions replacing inperson sessions are proving to be effective in patient education and awareness creation and might be the way forward even after the pandemic in resourcelimited settings like India.