Excellence in Patient Education and Support

Summary of work

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a set of life-threatening heart conditions including heart attack and unstable angina for which patients take a range of medications. Treatment adherence is poor, even though the consequences of non-adherence can lead to increased risk of heart attack and mortality. In Abu Dhabi, non-adherence is particularly prominent with persistence rates to OAP medication of just 35% after twelve months. ‘Life After Heart Attack’ (LAHA) a free, multi-channel support programme, was developed for patients with ACS in the United Arab Emirates. LAHA has positively impacted treatment persistence (99% at 3 months; 95% at 6 months and 83% at 12 months post-enrolment), patient beliefs and lifestyle changes.

Judges' comments

We liked the visualisation of the results within this well-executed initiative. It had demonstrable outcomes, in terms of belief, lifestyle changes and persistence, and gained excellent feedback from local cardiologists.