Tele-ECG consulting and outcomes on primary care patients in a low-to-middle income population: the first experience from Makassar telemedicine program, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine has been a popular tool to overcome the lack of access to healthcare facilities, primarily in underprivileged populations. We aimed to describe and assess the implementation of a tele-electrocardiography (ECG) program in primary care settings in Indonesia, and subsequently examine the short- and mid-term outcomes of patients who have received tele-ECG consultations. METHODS: ECG recordings from thirty primary care centers were transmitted to Makassar Cardiac Center, Indonesia from January to July 2017. We cross-sectionally measured the performance of this tele-ECG program, and prospectively sent a detailed questionnaire to general practitioners (GPs) at the primary care centers. We performed follow-up at 30 days and at the end of the study period to assess the patient outcomes. RESULTS: Of 505 recordings, all (100%) ECGs were qualified for analysis, and about half showed normal findings. The mean age of participants was 53.3 ± 13.6 years, and 40.2% were male. Most (373, 73.9%) of these primary care patients exhibited manifested CVD symptom with at least one risk factor. Male patients had more ischemic ECGs compared to women (p < 0.01), while older age (> 55 years) was associated with ischemic or arrhythmic ECGs (p < 0.05). Factors significantly associated with a normal ECG were younger age, female gender, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and no history of previous cardiovascular disease (CVD) or medication. More patients with an abnormal ECG had a history of hypertension, known diabetes, and were current smokers (p < 0.05). Of all tele-consultations, GPs reported 95% of satisfaction rate, and 296 (58.6%) used tele-ECG for an expert opinion. Over the total follow-up (14 ± 6.6 months), seven (1.4%) patients died and 96 (19.0%) were hospitalized for CVD. Of 88 patients for whom hospital admission was advised, 72 (81.8%) were immediately referred within 48 h following the tele-ECG consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Tele-ECG can be implemented in Indonesian primary care settings with limited resources and may assist GPs in immediate triage, resulting in a higher rate of early hospitalization for indicated patients.

Clinical Cardiology in South East Asia: Indonesian Lessons from the Present towards Improvement.

Although cardiovascular care has improved in the last decade in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in South-East Asia Region; these countries, particularly Indonesia, are still encountering a number of challenges in providing standardized healthcare systems. This article aimed to highlight the current state of cardiology practices in primary and secondary care, including the novel cardiovascular risk factors, recommendations for improving the quality of care, and future directions of cardiovascular research in limited settings in South-East Asia. We also provided the most recent evidence by addressing our latest findings on cardiovascular research in Indonesia, a region where infrastructure, human, and financial resources are largely limited. Improving healthcare policies to reduce a nations' exposure to CVD risk factors, providing affordable and accessible cardiovascular care both at primary and secondary levels, and increasing capacity building for clinical research should be warranted in the LMICs in South-East Asia.

Adherence to guideline recommendations for coronary angiography in a poor South-East Asian setting: Impact on short- and medium-term clinical outcomes.

In South-East Asian populations and particularly in Indonesia, access to coronary angiography (CAG) is limited. We aimed to assess the adherence for undergoing CAG for indicated patients, according to the guideline recommendations. We then examined whether this adherence would have an impact on patients' short- and medium-term mortality and morbidity. We consecutively enrolled 474 patients with acute and stable coronary artery disease who had indication for CAG at Makassar Cardiac Center, Indonesia from February 2013 to December 2014. We found that adherence to CAG recommendation in poor South-East Asian setting is low. Of 474 recommended patients, only 273 (57.6%) underwent the procedure. Factors for not undergoing CAG were: older age, female gender, low educational and socio-economic status, and insurance type. While reasons for patients refusing CAG and subsequent intervention included fear, symptoms reduction, and lack of trust concerning the procedure benefit. During follow-up (median 19 (IQR 6-39.3) months), 155 (32.7%) patients died, and 259 (54.6%) experienced at least one adverse event. Adherence to CAG recommendation was associated with a significantly lower short- and medium-term mortality, independent of revascularization and other potential confounders. In sub-group analysis, adhered patients "with revascularization" had significantly better outcomes compared to the "non-revascularization" and "not adhere" groups.

Predictors of medium-term mortality in patients hospitalised with coronary artery disease in a resource-limited South-East Asian setting.

Objective: To measure medium-term outcomes and determine the predictors of mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) both during and after hospitalisation in a resource-limited South-East Asian setting. Methods: From February 2013 to December 2014, we conducted a prospective observational cohort study of 477 patients admitted to Makassar Cardiac Center, Indonesia, with acute coronary syndrome and stable CAD. We actively obtained data on clinical outcomes and after-discharge management until April 2017. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to examine predictors for our primary outcome, all-cause mortality. Results: From hospital admission, patients were followed over a median of 18 (IQR 6-36) months; in total 154 (32.3%) patients died. More patients with acute myocardial infarction died in the hospital compared with patients with unstable and stable angina (p=0.002). Over the total follow-up, there was a difference in mortality between non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (n=41, 48.2%), ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (n=65, 30.8%), unstable angina (n=18, 26.5%) and stable coronary artery disease (n=30, 26.5%) groups (p=0.007). The independent predictors of all-cause mortality were hyperglycaemia on admission (HR 1.55 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.14), p=0.008), heart failure/Killip class ≥2 (HR 2.50 (95% CI 1.76 to 3.56), p<0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min (HR 1.77 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.50), p=0.001), no revascularisation (percutaneous coronary intervention/coronary artery bypass grafting) (HR 2.38 (95% CI 1.31 to 4.33), p=0.005) and poor adherence to after-discharge medications (HR 10.28 (95% CI 5.52 to 19.16), p<0.001). Poor medication adherence predicted postdischarge mortality and did so irrespective of underlying CAD diagnosis (p interaction=0.88). Conclusions: Patients with CAD in a poor South-East Asian setting experience high in-hospital and medium-term mortality. The initial severity of the disease, lack of access to guidelines-recommended therapy and poor adherence to after-discharge medications are the main drivers for excess mortality. Improved access to early and late hospital care and patient education should be prioritised for better survival.

Characteristics and the average 30-day and 6-month clinical outcomes of patients hospitalised with coronary artery disease in a poor South-East Asian setting: the first cohort from Makassar Cardiac Center, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a detailed description of characteristics at hospital admission and clinical outcomes at 30-day and 6-month follow-up in patients hospitalised with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a poor South-East Asian setting. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: From February 2013 to December 2014, in Makassar Cardiac Center, Indonesia. PARTICIPANTS: 477 patients with CAD (acute coronary syndrome and stable CAD). OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: Out of 477 patients with CAD, the proportion of young age (<60 years) was 53.9% and 72.7% were male. At admission, 44.2% of patients were diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 38.6% with diagnosis or signs of heart failure and 75.1% had previous hypertension. Out of 211 patients with STEMI, only 4.7% had been treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 6.2% received thrombolysis. The time lapse from symptom onset to hospital admission was 26.8 (IQR 10.0-48.0) hours, and 19.1% of all patients had undergone either PCI or coronary artery bypass graft. The survival rate at 6 months was 78.9%. The rates of all-cause mortality at 30 days and 6 months were 13.4% and 7.3%, respectively; the rate of composite MACE at 30 days was 26.2% and 18.0% at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CAD from a poor South-East Asian setting present themselves with predominantly unstable conditions of premature CAD. These patients show relatively severe illness, have significant time delay from symptom onset to admission or intervention, and most do not receive the guidelines-recommended treatment. Awareness of symptoms, prompt initial management of acute CVD, well-established infrastructures and resources both in primary and secondary hospital for CVD should be improved to reduce the high rates of 30-day and 6-month mortality and adverse outcomes in this population.

Pregnancy-related conditions and premature coronary heart disease in adult offspring.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between complications during pregnancy and premature coronary heart disease in adult offspring. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study of 153 Indonesian patients with a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (age ≤55 years) and 153 age-matched and sex-matched controls. Data on complications during pregnancy (high blood pressure, preterm delivery) and maternal infections in pregnancy were obtained, together with sociodemographic data, clinical profiles, laboratory measurements and adulthood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors at hospital admission or enrolment. Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess the association between overall pregnancy complications, and specific groupings of complications and premature ACS. RESULTS: Pregnancy-related hypertension and infection were more common in mothers of cases than controls. Pregnancy complications were associated with premature offspring ACS (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 6.0, p=0.004), and the association persisted in fully adjusted analyses (ORadjusted 4.5, 1.1 to 18.1, p=0.036). In subgroup analyses, pregnancy-related high blood pressure (ORadjusted 5.0, 1.0 to 24.7, p=0.050) and maternal infections (ORadjusted 5.2, 1.1 to 24.2, p=0.035) were associated with offspring ACS. CONCLUSIONS: Offspring of mothers with complications during pregnancy have an increased risk for premature ACS in adulthood, which may be of particular relevance in populations in transition, where the incidence of both pregnancy-related morbidity and CVD are high.