INTRODUCTION

Illness perception (IP) significantly influences recovery and self-care in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly in managing post-intervention complications. Although effective education is acknowledged as a way to enhance IP, using novel technologies such as mobile apps in this area has received less attention. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of education delivered through mobile apps on IP in patients undergoing PCI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 110 patients undergoing PCI at Shahid Rajaee Hospital in Karaj, Iran, in 2023. Patients were enrolled consecutively and assigned through block randomization to either an intervention group ( = 55) or a control group ( = 55). The intervention group received educational content derived from the five dimensions of Leventhal’s Common-Sense Model of Illness Perception through a mobile app. The control group received routine hospital care. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Brief (IPQ-B) at baseline and four weeks after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS version 21, using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Statistical significance was established at  < 0.05.

FINDINGS

The two groups were homogeneous regarding age, gender, body mass index, occupation, education level, smoking status, family history of coronary artery disease, presence of stents, underlying diseases, and balloon angioplasty ( < 0.05). The results indicated no significant differences between the experimental and control groups regarding IP mean score and the median scores of its dimensions (consequences, timeline, control, treatment, identity, concerns about the illness, emotional responses, and concerns about IP) at baseline ( > 0.05). A statistically significant improvement in IP score and its dimensions was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group ( < 0.05). More specifically, the experimental group displayed a significantly lower mean score of IP and median scores of its dimensions than the control group after the intervention ( = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Mobile app-based education can enhance IP in patients undergoing PCI. Thus, these findings support the integration of mobile apps into routine nursing care to enhance IP in patients undergoing PCI.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the following details:

REGISTRATION CODE

IRCT20110912007529N27.

REGISTRATION DATE

January 23, 2023.