Science & Technology, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively. It’s often associated with lifestyle factors like being overweight or obese, having a sedentary lifestyle, or eating a diet high in sugar and unhealthy fats. The treatment for diabetes typically involves lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise, as well as medication, such as insulin or oral hypoglycemic drugs. It’s important for people with diabetes to regularly monitor their blood sugar levels and work on managing their condition effectively.
Recent research conducted at the Western Sydney University has discovered that a short 15–20-minute discussion between a local endocrinologist and general practitioner (GP) in Sydney’s south west is enhancing the care for individuals having complex Type 2 diabetes.
The 3-year study, whose findings were published in the International Journal of Integrated Care is the 1st evaluation of ‘patient-free’ diabetes case conferencing. This is a model with the patient consent, the endocrinologist visits a GP practice, together with a practice nurse or diabetes educator, to corporate on the care of patients forming a joint management scheme for the patient.
Researchers discovered that blood glucose (HbA1c), blood pressure, weight, together with other cardiovascular risk factors all enhanced the following the 3-year trial with the participation of over 600 patients with Type 2 diabetes from 40 general practices from south western Sydney.
Blood glucose findings saw significant positive results between 2017 and 2020, with over a third (37%) of patients in the target range when contrasted to just 1 in 5 (20%) prior to the program.
On top of that, over 3 quarters (77%) of patients showed systolic blood pressure in the target range on when inquired, and contrasted with under than half of patients (47%) in 2017.
Co-author Professor David Simmons, Head of Endocrinology at Campbelltown Hospital and from the Western Sydney University, School of Medicine indicated that the study discovered that the model made vital contributions to diabetes management for primary care.
“Diabetes is a significant health issue in south western Sydney and it is critical we work together to find more effective, integrated and streamlined ways to manage patients and improve outcomes,” explained Professor Simmons.
“The findings from this study show how a collaborative discussion between a GP and endocrinologist where the patient is not present, can be one of the most effective integrated diabetes care interventions.
“This can allow the GP to continue to care for the patient in the practice, avoiding the need to see an endocrinologist in person. The collaboration also helps build the GP’s expertise in managing their other complex patients and the endocrinologist learns more about the patient from the GP which facilitates truly patient-centred care.”
The results build on the evidence indicating that case conferencing programs play a role in assisting bridge the gaps in service provision like obstacles between different settings, enhancing the patient experience by paving the way for higher complex cases in primary care and lower duplication of care according to researchers.
Co-author Ms Reetu Zarora, who is a PhD student at Western Sydney University, gave emphasis on how the model of care is not just economical on time and resources in primary care settings but also beneficial in greater depth on the health system.
“This is a real win-win-win for patients, GPs and the health system: patients get specialist input into their care without any extra time or cost, GPs can continue to manage their patients using their extra knowledge, and the health system has less demand on hospital clinics, potentially reducing and preventing hospitalisations in people with complex diabetes compared with usual care. This should reduce diabetes-related health issues,” she said.
