Aim: This study aimed to explore the effect of implementing pre-operative WeChat-assisted health education for parents of children with restrictive ventricular septal defects to improve their quality of life.
Methods: A prospective randomised controlled study was conducted in a provincial hospital in China. Participants were randomly divided into the intervention group (WeChat group, n = 35) and the control group (leaflet group, n = 35). The quality of life of parents of children with restricted ventricular septal defects was studied.
Results: Compared with the leaflet group, the WeChat group had a significantly lower score for the pre-operative Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) (P < 0.05). The pre-operative SAS score in the WeChat group was significantly lower than that at the first visit (P < 0.05). However, the SAS score in the leaflet group was similar at the time of preoperation and the first visit (P > 0.05). The pre-operative scores of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale in the physiological, psychological, social, and environmental fields and the total life quality score in the WeChat group were significantly higher than those of the leaflet group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Implementing pre-operative WeChat-assisted health education for parents of children with restrictive ventricular septal defects can effectively relieve their anxiety and improve their quality of life.
Keywords: WeChat; life quality; pre-operative health education; restrictive ventricular septal defect.
© 2021 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).