Published evidence, both within New Zealand and internationally, suggests rural patients have inferior access to cardiovascular diagnostic investigations including cardiac exercise tolerance tests (ETT) compared with urban patients, and have poorer outcomes as a result. Despite a significantly higher prevalence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in Māori as compared with non Māori, intervention rates for Māori are low.
This study describes the feasibility, clinical impact, and cost-effectiveness of a rural generalist-led ETT service for primary care patients in two different rural communities.
Blattner, K., Nixon, G., Horgan, C., Coutts, J., Rogers, M., Wong, B., Wigglesworth, J., Wilkins, G. Evaluation of a rural primary-referred cardiac exercise tolerance test service. New Zealand Medical Journal, 127(1406).