Prevention of cardiovascular disease in rural Australian primary care: an exploratory study of the perspectives of clinicians and high-risk men.
Rural primary care services have the potential to play a major role in reducing the gap in cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes between rural and metropolitan Australians, particularly in men at high risk of CVD. The aim of this study was to explore the self-reported behaviours and satisfaction with their general practice/practitioner of men at high risk of CVD, and attitudes of rural primary care clinicians regarding the role of primary care in CVD prevention. This observational research was addressed through survey questionnaires with rural men at high risk of CVD and semi-structured interviews with rural primary care clinicians. Fourteen rural primary care practices from towns with populations less than 25000 participated. One hundred and fifty-eight high-risk men completed the questionnaire. Their responses demonstrated poorly controlled risk factors despite a willingness to change. Alternatively, rural primary care clinicians (n=20) reported that patients were unlikely to change and that illness-based funding models inhibited cardiovascular preventive activities. Australians living in rural areas have worse CVD outcomes. In addition, there is a disparity in the assumptions of health providers and male patients at high risk of CVD in rural areas. This necessitates innovative rural primary care models that include a blended payment system that incentivises or funds preventive care alongside an emphasis on lifestyle advice, as well as an explicit strategy to influence clinician and patient behaviour to help address the disparity.
School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1322, Newnham, Tas. 7250, Australia.
Leigh
L
Kinsman
School of Rural Health, Monash University, PO Box 666, Bendigo, Vic. 3552, Australia.
Rachel
R
Tham
School of Rural Health, Monash University, PO Box 666, Bendigo, Vic. 3552, Australia.
Julie
J
Symons
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Building C3A, Room 516, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
Mike
M
Jones
Institute of Population Health - Centre for Primary Care, University of Manchester, 7th Floor, Williamson Building, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Stephen
S
Campbell
School of Rural Health, Monash University, PO Box 666, Bendigo, Vic. 3552, Australia.
Ann
A
Allenby