Better support for the diabetes journey
7 October 2016
Better support for the diabetes journey
A more collaborative approach to diabetes
management by Capital & Coast DHB and General Practice (GP)
teams over recent years – the Diabetes Care Improvement
Package (DCIP) – is enabling GPs to help patients better
manage their diabetes and lower the risk of related problems
later in life.
A key aspect of this is the Diabetes Nursing Practice Partnership (DNNP) implemented in 2013, which partners specialist diabetes nurses with GP teams to deliver better diabetes care within the practice.
“Before 2013 doctors usually monitored diabetes patients, and referred many to the hospital for further treatment. That seldom happens now,” said CCDHB diabetes nurse practitioner Lorna Bingham.
“The DNNP sees specialist diabetes nurses work in general practices to provide assistance like guidelines, e-learning tools, and mentoring around complex diabetes treatment and ongoing management. They also train GP teams to teach people with type 2 diabetes to administer insulin – which patients previously had to come to hospital for.”
The DCIP has also enabled CCDHB to strategically prioritise its work to initially share skills and support General practices with a higher number of patients with type 2 diabetes.
“We now provide better, faster and more convenient diabetes treatment across most practices in our region – including the Karori, Island Bay, Newlands, Johnsonville and Tawa medical centres as well as Ora Toa practices and the Porirua Union Community Health Service.
“As type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic aspect, there can be a misconception that poor outcomes are inevitable for people with a challenging family history of the condition.
“Many people now are receiving better joined up diabetes care, support, education and good clinical management from their GP team – with support from the specialist diabetes service.
“This is helping people to be able to improve their diabetes control earlier and so preventing health problems down the track.”
CCDHB and Compass Health are holding free sessions to help people better manage their diabetes, and lead more active and fulfilling lives. For more information, contact 0508 697 626 or smcourse@compasshealth.org.nz. For our latest news, visitwww.ccdhb.org.nz or www.facebook.com/CCDHB
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