(PR.co.nz) The sixth booklet in a Ministry of Health series about the health targets has been released, focused on work happening in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes management.
Health Minister Tony Ryall says, “This booklet, like the others released so far, gives examples of how District Health Boards (DHBs) and other health organisations are making real progress for patients with these conditions.”
The health target aims for:
An increased percentage of the eligible population have their CVD risk assessed in the last five years
An increased percentage of people with diabetes have their free annual check
An increased percentage of people with diabetes have satisfactory or better diabetes management
Mr Ryall says, “Cardiovascular diseases include heart attacks and strokes, which are largely preventable if people get timely advice about their lifestyle, and act on it.
“The target champion, Dr Brandon Orr-Walker, is currently reviewing the diabetes Let’s Get Checked programme, based on long-standing concerns in the health sector about how effective it is. It is timely we look for ways to improve these services.”
It has been estimated that the public health service spends more than $700 million a year treating these conditions.
Some of the innovative initiatives highlighted in the new booklet include
How New Zealand is ahead of much of the world with this target
A West Coast collaboration where health professionals meet regularly and identify solutions to any problems
A Counties-Manukau patient’s experience and improved management of his conditions
Pharmac’s One Heart Many Lives programme, including Northland community successes
Big improvements at Whanganui DHB since they began working more closely with the Whanganui Regional Primary Health Organisation
A National Heart Foundation’s “Heart Age Forecast” online tool which calculates current and future risk of heart disease or stroke.
A copy of the booklet is available at: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/targeting-diabetes-cardiovascular-disease.
Media Release 28 April 2011 from Tony Ryall, Minister of Health.