Rural‐serving primary care practitioners’ and cardiologists’ care adaptations for cardiovascular services: A qualitative analysis

Abstract Purpose Rural populations in the United States have less access to cardiovascular care relative to their urban counterparts while bearing a higher burden of heart disease. To understand rural patients’ access to cardiovascular care services, we conducted a qualitative study investigating which cardiovascular services rural‐serving primary care practitioners offered, how they adapted care, and what factors influenced cardiovascular scope of practice and adaptations among rural‐serving primary care practitioners and cardiologists. Methods We conducted semi‐structured interviews with rural‐serving primary care physicians, advanced practice providers, and pharmacists, as well as cardiologists, in Alaska, Idaho, and Washington state. Findings Twenty health care practitioners participated in this study. We identified two themes characterizing cardiovascular services: expanded scope of practice (e.g., primary care physician prescribing a higher‐risk anti‐arrhythmic medication, dofetilide, for atrial fibrillation) and altered care (e.g., cardiologist ordering fewer cardiovascular imaging tests when needed technology was unavailable). Using a socio‐ecological approach, we found factors affecting care adaptations at four levels: local communities; individual practitioners; local clinics and health systems; and the broader health care, law, and policy environment. Conclusions When caring for rural cardiovascular patients, primary care practitioners and referring cardiologists expanded their scope of practice and altered care. Multiple factors affected these shifts. Future research could address whether and how expansion of scope of practice (e.g., through team‐based care) may improve access to cardiovascular care among rural populations.