Cardiologists' perceptions on multidisciplinary collaboration in heart failure care - a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Services Research
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Cardiologists are central to heart failure (HF) management.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration is crucial for effective HF care.
• Limited research exists on cardiologists' perceptions of multidisciplinary collaboration in HF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore cardiologists' views on multidisciplinary collaboration in heart failure (HF) care.
• To identify challenges and opportunities for improving HF management through teamwork.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.
• 11 Belgian cardiologists participated.
• Data analyzed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL) until saturation.

Main Results:

• Cardiologists view general practitioners (GPs) and HF nurses as key partners.
• Identified issues include HF diagnosis communication, advanced care planning, GP medication titration, and electronic data exchange.
• Proposed improvements include expanding the HF nurse role, structured patient-centered disease management, and integrated data approaches.

Conclusions:

• Cardiologists highly value collaboration with GPs in HF management.
• They support an expanded role for HF nurses, increased eHealth adoption, and structured disease management for better HF care.