The HSE’s integrated care programme for chronic disease management has applied for funding to expand the coverage of cardiovascular diseases in the structured chronic disease management programme in general practice, the Medical Independent (MI) can reveal.
Dr Orlaith O’Reilly, National Clinical Lead for the Integrated Care Programme for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease, told MI the submission was made in recent months. The team is currently working with the Department of Health and the HSE regarding the estimates process.
The programme focuses on improving the standard of care for four major chronic diseases that affect over one million people in Ireland: Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Currently, the cardiovascular diseases included in the programme are stable heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and atrial fibrillation.
The submission proposes inclusion of diseases such as peripheral arterial disease and familial hypercholesterolemia.
The full spectrum of hypertension was also proposed in the submission as currently only severe hypertension is included. Dr O’Reilly added this would represent a relatively small number of people who are at extremely high risk of cardiovascular events like stroke and myocardial infarction.
According to Dr O’Reilly, gestational diabetes has also been included in the funding submission.
The First report of the Structured Chronic Disease Management Programme in General Practice was published in August and reported strong uptake by GPs and patients. “[The programme] is well received,” Dr O’Reilly noted. “It is a success and we should build on it.”
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