Abstract
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one cause of death worldwide and within the United States. The cost of cardiovascular care continues to be the highest cost of care for any disease process and is projected to rise. Cardiovascular healthcare clearance has become increasingly complex, resulting in greater time spent away from the patient for providers, delay in care for patients, and increased prior authorization professionals being hired to perform healthcare clearance. Given this significant problem and limited best practices to guide leaders and providers in making positive changes to address this problem, a qualitative case study was performed to determine best practices for cardiovascular healthcare clearance for imaging, procedures, and surgeries. The qualitative case study allowed for new insights to be appreciated in the field of cardiovascular healthcare clearance, a field where research is limited for leaders to make wise practice changes impacting their staff, providers, and cardiovascular patients. The study uncovered multiple themes validating the challenges of cardiovascular healthcare clearance articulated in past studies, outlining key best practices for healthcare leaders and cardiovascular providers specific to cardiovascular healthcare clearance, and articulated issues persisting in the healthcare insurance industry. The proposed solutions outlined are in the form of toolkits for healthcare leaders and cardiovascular.