Cardiology Support Utilization Patterns and Associated Barriers Across Northwestern Ontario.

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre On-Call Cardiology Support Service serves a geographically vast region across Northwestern Ontario where cardiovascular disease is a major burden. The objective is to analyze service utilization patterns including locations, indications, interventions, and barriers. In this 6-month prospective study, cardiologists collected data via survey on calls from rural and remote providers. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used. The Canadian Institute for Health Information's Rural Health Systems Model was used for interpretation. Two hundred and six responses across 19 locations identified: common consultations-chest pain, dyspnea, and atrial fibrillation; frequent interventions-medical recommendations, education, and transfer decisions; key barriers-limited personnel knowledge and infrastructure. Significant associations were identified. This study characterized cardiology support service utilization across Northwestern Ontario, identifying key barriers and opportunities to strengthen rural health systems planning and cardiovascular care. These findings can inform targeted initiatives and support future evaluations.