Rural Perspectives on Digital Health in Cardiovascular Care: Qualitative Study of Interviews With Rural and...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Cardiovascular Care
• Rural Health

Background:

• Digital health technologies offer potential to reduce rural cardiovascular care access disparities.
• Little is known about rural healthcare providers' perspectives on adopting digital health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To interpret rural healthcare providers' perspectives on using digital health for rural cardiovascular care.
• Utilized diffusion of innovations theory as a framework.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semistructured interviews with 17 rural and rural-serving providers (PCPs, cardiologists).
• Performed directed content analysis informed by diffusion of innovations theory (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability).

Main Results:

• Providers noted advantages like reduced patient travel and leveraging non-physician staff.
• Identified complexities including equipment issues, connectivity, patient technical abilities, and billing concerns.
• Observed cycles of adopting and discontinuing digital health technologies.

Conclusions:

• Rural providers recognize digital health advantages but find it complex and incompatible with practice needs.
• A disconnect exists between digital health's potential and its practical application in rural settings.
• Future interventions must consider rural-specific complexities and incompatibilities.