Being Uncertain: Rural-Living Cardiac Patients’ Experience of Seeking Health Care

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Secondary prevention strategies reduce disease progression to heart failure. Rural cardiac patients typically have less access to health care resources to support them in managing secondary prevention, and services...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative health research 2022-03, Vol.32 (4), p.609-621
Main Authors: Lowe, Erin, Banner, Davina, Estefan, Andrew, King-Shier, Kathryn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac surgery
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases
Delivery of Health Care
Grounded theory
Health care access
Health information
Heart attacks
Heart failure
Heart surgery
Help seeking behavior
Humans
Medical personnel
Morbidity
Myocardial infarction
Ownership
Patients
Prevention programs
Qualitative research
Quality of Life
Rehabilitation
Rural areas
Rural health care
Rural Population
Secondary prevention
Social support
Uncertainty
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Summary:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Secondary prevention strategies reduce disease progression to heart failure. Rural cardiac patients typically have less access to health care resources to support them in managing secondary prevention, and services to improve quality of life tend to be lacking in rural settings. The study aim was to examine the process that rural cardiac patients go through to access health care and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) following myocardial infarction (MI). In-depth interviews with 11 post-MI participants using Straussian grounded theory were undertaken. Analysis revealed a linear process from hospital discharge to maintaining health. There were five elements: comfort with health information, relationship with health care providers, social support, taking ownership, and availability of/for CR. The core category was “being uncertain.” Findings can be used to identify ways to improve access and address uncertainty stemming from a lack of perceived information and supports following discharge.
ISSN:1049-7323
1552-7557
DOI:10.1177/10497323211005431