Diabetes
Why is Diabetes one of MidCentral DHB’s Health Priority Areas?
Nationally, diabetes is on the increase and it is disease which, increases the risk of developing other more serious diseases including, heart attack and angina, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and limb amputation.
For more information anout MDHB's planning around diabetes read the Diabetes Service Plan.
Nutritionist from Heartbeat Tararua with local residents.
It is often these complications that are the main cause of suffering and death for people with Diabetes.
Maori, Pacific people and those living in lower socio-economic areas within the district are much more likely to be hospitalised for diabetes than MidCentral residents overall.
National Diabetes Nursing Knowledge and Skills Framework
A foundation MidCentral District Health Board National Diabetes Nursing Knowledge and Skills Framework is available. The framework sets guidelines for minimum preparation for a nurse providing care to a person with diabetes.
MidCentral DHB’s strategies to the address the incidence and impact of diabetes:
- Increase investment in promoting healthy lifestyles
- Increase awareness of diabetes and its associated risk factors
- Develop increased workforce expertise in diabetes detection and management
- Ensure sufficient resources are available in the community for effective treatment and self management
Investment
Additional funds will be used to purchase services to reduce the incidence and impact of diabetes on an ongoing basis. This will commence in the short to medium term and will have an annual investment of $3million.
Diabetes Initiatives and Services Implemented in the District
Chronic Care Teams
Green Prescription
Community based foot-care
Diabetes Youth Nurse Clinician
Pump Therapy
Chronic Care teams
Essential to prevention of chronic conditions, and underpinning all other forms of effective management, are the “lifestyle” factors. Outstanding amongst these lifestyle issues, and extending across several of the most important chronic disease states, are:
- Nutrition and obesity
- Smoking, and
- Physical activity
Each team will comprise nurses delivering cardiovascular, respiratory and diabetes services. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the teams, it is likely other services would work collaboratively alongside them. Funding was allocated to the four PHOs and the Nursing Development Team. Service delivery commenced on 3 July 2006.
Green Prescription
Funding has been approved for a two year service agreement with Sport Manawatu for the purpose of piloting an enhanced Green Prescription (GRx) programme to be delivered throughout MidCentral’s District.
A green prescription is a health professional’s written advice to a patient to be physically active as part of the patient’s health management.
In encouraging increased physical activity to prevent and mitigate chronic disease conditions, the Green Prescription programme is well aligned to the objectives of the New Zealand Health Strategy, He Korowai Oranga, the MidCentral Primary
Health Care Strategy and the MidCentral diabetes, cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular and depression service plans.
The MidCentral Cardiovascular Service Plan (Initiative 16) and the MidCentral Diabetes Service Plan (Initiative 22) both signal an intention to support enhancement of the Green Prescription programme at the regional level.
Community Based Foot Care
A community-based podiatry programme to service the needs of people who have foot complications or are at risk of developing foot complications from diabetes was approved by the Board in December 2005.
Diabetes Youth Nurse Clinician
MidCentral Health’s Diabetes Lifestyle Centre has employed an additional diabetes child and youth nurse clinician. The nurse clinician is working intensively with children and youth on the pump therapy trial.
Pump Therapy
Children and young people in the MidCentral DHB region are among the first in New Zealand to receive publicly funded insulin pump therapy treatment.
MidCentral DHB is funding ten pumps from the Diabetes Service Plan, with pumps costing approximately $7000 each.
The first group of MidCentral children to be selected for the pump therapy trial are being intensively managed to ensure they meet clinical guidelines for the continuous sub-cut insulin infusion (CSII) pump therapy, with seven children currently on the pump therapy trial.
The benefits of pump therapy include not just the smoother glucose levels but more accurate insulin delivery and programmable use to meet the changing needs of the individual. This allows more flexibility with lifestyle, eating patterns, exercise and activity.
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Last Updated 01/09/2009