2009 Press Releases
Diabetes Management in Primary Care
18.09.2009
Diabetes is an increasing health problem. Type 2 Diabetes accounts for approximately 80-90% of all cases. Screening for diabetes in the community and actively managing Pre-Diabetes can prevent these patients progression to developing Type 2 Diabetes.
18.09.2009
Diabetes is an increasing health problem. Type 2 Diabetes accounts for approximately 80-90% of all cases. Screening for diabetes in the community and actively managing Pre-Diabetes can prevent these patients progression to developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Currently, treatment of diabetes and its complications is estimated to consume 10% of our total health care expenditure. With optimum care many of the complications can be prevented or minimised. The key messages are: prevention, early diagnosis and active management of risk factors.
A conference devoted to the management of diabetes in the community, jointly hosted by the Diabetes Interest Group and the HSE South was held in UCC this week. Over 100 community based health professionals attended.
The Diabetes Interest Group is an assembly of GPs and Practice Nurses, from the Munster region, who have come together to optimise the quality of care they provide to their patients with diabetes. Currently there are 28 general practices active in the group, providing care for 2,900 patients with diabetes. This initiative is supported by HSE South and University College Cork, and is congruent with the most recent recommendations of the HSE Expert Advisory Group on Diabetes.
The conference provided educational support to practices providing diabetes care and had a multidisciplinary focus with GP’s, Practice Nurses, Community Nurses, Public Health Nurses, Podiatrists, Dieticians and Physiotherapists participating.
The group plans to appoint a Community Diabetes Nurse Specialist in the near future. This position will be jointly funded by three pharmaceutical companies- Sanofi Aventis, Merck Sharpe Dohme and Novo Nordisk. The appointee will provide clinical services to patients within their own local practices and also at the Diabetes Day Centre at Cork University Hospital. This is the first such appointment locally and is eagerly anticipated by the group.
Conference speakers:
RMcD
A conference devoted to the management of diabetes in the community, jointly hosted by the Diabetes Interest Group and the HSE South was held in UCC this week. Over 100 community based health professionals attended.
The Diabetes Interest Group is an assembly of GPs and Practice Nurses, from the Munster region, who have come together to optimise the quality of care they provide to their patients with diabetes. Currently there are 28 general practices active in the group, providing care for 2,900 patients with diabetes. This initiative is supported by HSE South and University College Cork, and is congruent with the most recent recommendations of the HSE Expert Advisory Group on Diabetes.
The conference provided educational support to practices providing diabetes care and had a multidisciplinary focus with GP’s, Practice Nurses, Community Nurses, Public Health Nurses, Podiatrists, Dieticians and Physiotherapists participating.
The group plans to appoint a Community Diabetes Nurse Specialist in the near future. This position will be jointly funded by three pharmaceutical companies- Sanofi Aventis, Merck Sharpe Dohme and Novo Nordisk. The appointee will provide clinical services to patients within their own local practices and also at the Diabetes Day Centre at Cork University Hospital. This is the first such appointment locally and is eagerly anticipated by the group.
Conference speakers:
- Dr Finbarr Corkery, Conference Chairperson. Dr Corkery is a Cork based GP, a founding member of the Diabetes Interest Group and Chairperson of the Diabetes Service Implementation Group, HSE South
- Dr Susan Smith, GP and Lecturer in Trinity College Dublin, on “Screening for Diabetes and the Management of Pre-Diabetes”.
- Liam Moggan, Coach Education Development Officer, Coaching Ireland, on “Promoting Physical Activity-Helping people to help themselves”.
- Dr Matthew Murphy, Consultant Endocrinologist, South Infirmary Hospital, Cork, on the pharmacological management of diabetes.
- Dr Giovanni Baldassini, GP, Mallow on “Motivational Interviewing”.
- Hilary Devine and Yvonne O’Brien, Community Dietician’s on the “XPERT- structured patient education program”.
- Dr Frank Hill, GP, and Ms Tracey McSweeney, Practice Nurse, who will facilitate a workshop dealing with “Setting up a Diabetes Care System in your Practice”.
RMcD