More health and diabetes checks recommended
Health Minister Tony Ryall says anyone from their mid to late 30s should talk to their GP or nurse about a heart and diabetes check.
A study warning of an increased risk of high blood pressure reinforces the Government’s approach to strongly promote more heart and diabetes checks.
"There has been a lot of activity within DHBs and general practice to boost more heart and diabetes checks - an entry point for good care for high blood pressure and other health problems.
"Our immediate goal is to ensure 75% of those eligible receive a heart and diabetes check within five years by July this year.
"Western Bay of Plenty PHO is the first to reach the 75% target and another nine are close. Additional work by the Ministry, DHBs and the Heart Foundation is underway to assist PHOs to deliver more heart and diabetes checks.
"The Heart Foundation is halfway through a series of 14 workshops emphasising online training and resource toolkits for PHOs working towards better care. These risk tools are promoted in the latest Kai Tiaki Nursing Journal.
"There is two weeks still to run of the Heart Foundation’s five week campaign to encourage cardiovascular risk assessments with your local GP or nurse, particularly for MÄori and Pacific men.
"There are some good examples of work being done by DHBs to encourage better awareness of heart health.
"In Hawkes Bay, a campaign, launched in February continues with 50 MÄori and Pacific men with strong links in their communities giving out vouchers to other men outlining options for getting checks done.
"In Auckland, the DHB is supporting patients this year with $733,000 to deliver more heart and diabetes checks and with quality improvements in this area.
"Waitemata is also investing $1.7 million in PHO support to encourage more people to have heart and diabetes checks provided.
"We are working with the Heart Foundation to update cardiovascular review guidelines expected later in the year.
"DHBs are also implementing diabetes care improvement plans to replace the former Get Checked programme which stalled in terms of producing better results for diabetes management.
Key themes in the new packages are:
- Good diabetes education for patients and the health professionals caring for them. In Hawkes Bay a series of diabetes group education sessions for patients has been delivered.
- Greater collaboration. In Wairarapa specialist nurses are working with primary and community nurses to provide integrated diabetes care.
- Good practice planning. Capital and Coast is making good progress with a chronic care management plan.
- Electronic care tools. All Waitemata practices have an audit tool to assist with diabetes patient care.
"One impressive result is South Canterbury where 82% of individuals diagnosed with diabetes are assessed as managing their conditions well.
"This is a challenging area and I am encouraged by the work DHBs and PHOs are doing to ensure that we are assessing individual’s heart risk and then working with those patients to best manage those risks."
http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/healthy-living/hows-you-engine
comments powered by Disqus