Govt showcases diabetes research
by Vincent Ciccarello
The
pioneering research of Professor Robyn McDermott and her team into
diabetes in remote Indigenous communities is being showcased in 10 of
the best, a booklet highlighting 10 successful research projects funded
by the commonwealth government through the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC).
With NHMRC Strategic Research and Development Committee award funding of $414,000 over two years, Prof McDermott and her team worked in partnership with the Torres Strait Health Council, Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Queensland Health to improve primary level diabetes care.
Reductions by up to 40 per cent in serious diabetes complications such as infections, heart, kidney and eye diseases were achieved by establishing a system of chronic care registers, evidence-based care plans, check-ups and referrals managed locally by Indigenous health workers.
Prof McDermott said the research results, which have been published in the Medical Journal of Australia and the British Medical Journal, provide useful data and a framework to further improve the quality of services and clinical outcomes for chronic disease in remote and disadvantaged communities.
"It further demonstrates that a great deal of highly effective routine diabetes care can be provided by local health workers (rather than doctors and nurses) provided they are appropriately trained and supported," she said.
"The project’s inclusion in 10 of the best is great recognition of the team’s work over many years," Prof McDermott said.
"This is a unique collaboration between researchers and health workers in challenging remote locations and resource-poor settings. It demonstrates what can be achieved when the best international evidence is adapted to the local situation inside a culture of quality improvement. It also highlights the limits of a purely clinical approach in improving health outcomes.
"Clearly now there is need for action to improve food quality and also physical activity of remote Indigenous communities, if the epidemic of type two diabetes is to be halted."
10 of the best is available on the NHMRC website at www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications