Next week is Heart Week, Australia’s national heart health awareness week which is held in May every year. The Week provides an opportunity for the Australian public and health professionals to start a conversation about heart health and take positive steps to reduce heart disease risks.
The Western Sydney Cardiology program aims to improve cardiology care for patients through early identification and support the management of heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF) to prevent serious illness and reduce your need to go to hospital.
The program connects primary care providers with specialists, pharmacists and various health care tools to ensure that cardiology care is delivered at the right time, in the right place, the first time. Enhanced patient empowerment, improved connectivity between the acute and primary care sectors and digital tools will all play a role in managing various heart related conditions including heart failure, AF and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Celebrating the Cardiology in Community Program
For the past three years, the Cardiology in Community (CIC) program has been piloted with several practices in Western Sydney. The CIC program is part of the Western Sydney Care Collective initiative, which has been a partnership between Western Sydney Primary Health Network (operated by WentWest) and Western Sydney Local Health District to deliver a whole-of-system approach to transform health care in Western Sydney.
Through our collaborative efforts with the local practices that have participated in the CIC program, we have successfully screened over 11,000 patients and enrolled over 2,300 patients to the program, addressing potential cardiovascular concerns, particularly AF, in a timely manner. The commitment of participating practices to proactive patient care has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the wellbeing of individuals at risk of cardiovascular complications.
Since the program commenced, we have also seen 84 new AF diagnoses and over 450 patients monitored with HeartBug across 25 participating practices.
To further the benefits realised from the CIC program, the new Western Sydney Cardiology program will take the learnings and momentum from the CIC program and enhance support for a wider group of patients across Western Sydney living with CVD.
Cardiology Resources for Primary Care Providers
If you want to be part of the change, please complete our expression of interest form to our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Cycle. As part of the CQI transformational journey, you will have access to and guidance for how to optimise the following resources:
- CQI Toolkit – cardiology: This toolkit is designed to simplify change into manageable activities using data-driven improvement tools, improve financial sustainability and allow users to earn CPD points
- GoShare bundles: GoShare is a free patient education platform that allows general practices to share tailored, up-to-date resources with patients
- HealthPathways: The latest cardiology clinical topics, protocols and localised public and private referral services can be found on the Western Sydney HealthPathways website:
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Assessment pathway
- Cardiology pathway
- Cardiology Referrals pathway
- Local Health District GP Support Line: GPs have direct access to specialist advice and escalation options through the Rapid Access Stabilisation (RAS) Service. Call 1300 972 915 Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 7:00pm
- Local Health District inTouch Care Facilitator: A facilitator helps navigate care for people with chronic disease conditions who are at high risk of hospitalisation. Call 1800 113 644 or visit HealthPathways for more information about inTouch Community Care
- Remote monitoring and screening technology: Tailored devices that allow screening and remote monitoring of cardiovascular parameters of patients at risk (e.g. Kardia and HeartBug)
Take Part in Heart Week
Increase heart health screening in your practice for Heart Week to help identify patients at risk of CVD. You can utilise the Heart Foundation’s free Heart Health Check Toolkit which helps calculate CVD risk (under MBS items 699 and 177).
The Heart Foundation is also hosting a Heart Week webinar: Metabolic matrix: Introducing the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, on Thursday 9 May, 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
If your practice is going above and beyond for Heart Week, you can enter Heart Foundation’s Heart Week display competition to win one of two $500 vouchers. To enter, share photos on social media with #HeartWeek2024 and tag the Heart Foundation or enter the competition via an online form. Eligible displays must be in shared patient areas within health care settings.
To access additional cardiology resources or find out more about Western Sydney Cardiology, please contact wscarecollective@wentwest.com.au
Information is correct as of 2 May 2024.