IN DEPTH
ROBIN WHYTE Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
Communitybased Integrated Diabetes Education and Assessment Service Changing lives—closer to home
Every day, 280 Australians develop diabetes (85%
Changing how services are delivered
of which is type 2 diabetes). According to Diabetes
The Integrated Diabetes Education and Assessment
Australia, the total annual cost impact of diabetes
Service was developed by Carrington Health and
in Australia is $14.6 billion.
Eastern Health’s Endocrinology Department
Complications from diabetes can include blindness, amputations, and cardiovascular disease—Australia’s number one killer. These complications can take an enormous
in 2008. IDEAS aims to provide effective, integrated, team-based multidisciplinary diabetes care, as well as providing a response to existing and
toll on people and their carers, impacting ability
pending financial pressures and increasing waitlists
to live well and participate in their communities.
for hospital diabetes services.
With rates of type 2 diabetes increasing, in
Eastern Health’s Professor Chris Gilfillan said
2017 Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
there is an imperative to treat people in a
(EMPHN) considered initiatives that could evolve
community rather than hospital setting, closer
and be expanded to areas within our community
to home, with a care team they can build
that had high rates of type 2 diabetes.
rapport with.
The Health Advocate • DECEMBER 2019
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