YourHeartNewStart.ca addresses the needs and challenges facing Canadian patients
TORONTO, March 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - You have just arrived home from the hospital after having a heart attack… now what? Following a heart attack or heart procedure, many patients are unsure of the steps to take toward a successful recovery.
YourHeartNewStart.ca, developed by Eli Lilly Canada in partnership with the World Heart Feder YourHeartNewStart.ca ation, is a new online resource designed specifically to guide Canadian heart attack and heart procedure patients through the recovery process, providing information and interactive tools for patients, their families and loved ones.
The Your Heart: New Start website addresses the physical and emotional challenges facing heart attack or heart procedure patients and their caregivers, at various stages of their recovery. As the basis for the website, the Your Heart: New Start international survey found that Canadian patients lag behind their European counterparts when it comes to managing their heart health after a cardiac procedure, and were nearly three times as likely to stop following their doctor-recommended diet and exercise recommendations because they were "feeling better" (20 per cent). Also, more than one in five patients in Canada frequently missed taking their antiplatelet medication to prevent blood clots - the highest proportion among countries surveyed.
"Following a heart attack or other heart procedure, patients must understand when they leave the hospital there are often significant lifestyle changes required for a successful recovery, including taking medication as prescribed," said Jennifer Price, Cardiac Care Nurse, Women's College Hospital. "Online resources, like YourHeartNewStart.ca, provide patients and their families with tailored information and strategies to help in the rehabilitation process and will assist them to follow doctor-recommended instructions, treatments and medications."
In response to these results, YourHeartNewStart.ca offers guidance on what patients can do when they first arrive home from the hospital; what to do when they have been home from the hospital for a week; what to discuss during the first follow-up appointment with their doctor; and how to achieve long-term heart health.
YourHeartNewStart.ca provides an engaging and user-friendly online experience for those recovering from a heart attack or heart procedure, falling under the category of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). ACS also includes conditions such as unstable angina. In Canada, ACS is a major health issue, as annually there are an estimated 70,000 heart attacks, and over 17,000 Canadians die each year as the result of a heart attack. Encouraging long-term heart health is important, as cardiovascular disease currently costs the Canadian economy more than $22 billion annually in physician services, hospital costs, lost wages and decreased productivity.
"Whether a patient is enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program, or is monitoring their recovery with the support of friends and family, it is important to consider a comprehensive approach to a patient's treatment following a heart attack or heart procedure," said Jennifer Price. "Lifestyle changes, such as improving one's diet, increasing exercise and quitting unhealthy activities, like smoking, require informative education and support. It is important to address the physiological, psychological and social well-being of the patient in the recovery process as well."
To motivate patients to say on track, YourHeartNewStart.ca offers downloadable checklists that outline the next steps to take, tailored to the stage in their recovery. The website also includes a series of interactive quizzes, entitled "How Heart Smart are You?" allowing patients to assess their knowledge.
Additional results from the Your Heart: New Start survey highlight the need for a resource to help patients that have experienced a heart attack or heart procedure better manage their recovery. The survey also found that the majority of Canadian patients would find it very helpful to have more information on ways to prevent a heart attack (72 per cent). More than half of Canadian patients (52 per cent) knew what they should be doing to take care of their health and had trouble following through. The survey was conducted among more than 3,000 heart procedure survivors in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the US and the UK.8
About the World Heart FederationThe World Heart Federation is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It leads the global fight against heart disease and stroke via a united community of 202 member organizations that bring together the strength of medical societies and heart foundations, from more than 100 countries. This includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Through their collective efforts, they help people all over the world to lead longer, better, heart healthy lives. For further information visit: www.worldheart.org.
About Lilly
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Eli Lilly Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, employs more than 500 people across the country. Additional information about Eli Lilly Canada can be found at www.lilly.ca.
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