14 July 2022
This week is National Diabetes Week (10 – 16 July) and the theme for 2022 is challenging diabetes-related stigma. With four out of five people with diabetes feeling shamed or blamed for having type 1 or type 2 diabetes, there is a lot to be discussed about the effect that diabetes-related stigma can have on a person’s physical and mental health. Many diabetics keep their diagnosis to themselves which can mean that they don’t always reach out to get the support and help to manage their diabetes.
With the rate of diabetes in Western Sydney much higher than the national and state average, it is estimated that at least 15% of adults in the region have diabetes and 35% of the population at ‘high risk’ of type 2 diabetes with pre-diabetes or high blood glucose. Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD) was established to respond to this threat to the community’s physical and emotional health wellbeing. WSD is a partnership between the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, Western Sydney Local Health District, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Diabetes NSW & ACT. Their focus is to provide preventive solutions and to support patients with type 2 diabetes across Western Sydney.
Diabetes Case Conferences (DCC) is one of the initiatives created by WSD to provide an opportunity for patients to meet with their GP, a diabetes educator and an endocrinologist to learn how to manage their diabetes. Each session is structured so the patient’s medication, individual circumstances and lifestyle can be discussed to help develop a care plan to suit their needs. DCC are completely free for the patient with each session bulk billed by the GP.
Case conferences are available both in person and via telehealth. There has been positive feedback from patients who have attended the program with 85% saying that they were highly satisfied with the care they received.
Geoff, a community member who attended DCC said that it, “changed my life completely. “I lost over 10kgs, and my blood sugars are now at proper levels.”
Over 600 patients have participated in DCC along with over 100 GPs from 35 general practices. Early evaluation of this program found that three to six months post-session, the patients showed a clinically significant reduction in HbA1c (0.87%), along with beneficial effects on systolic blood pressure, weight and lipid profile.
Another positive outcome of this program has been the opportunity for GPs to update their knowledge and build their confidence about the most effective way to manage their patient’s diabetes. As a result of the positive feedback from GPs and patients participating in Diabetes Case Conferences the program will be rolled out to most general practices in Western Sydney.
More resources about diabetes including Diabetes Case Conferences can be found on our Western Sydney Diabetes webpage.