Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases affect more than 40,000 people, cause more than 4,000 avoidable hospital admissions and 200 avoidable deaths in our region each year.
Top five services that people use to manage their chronic disease
While most people used their GP to help them manage their chronic disease, people also used a number of different services, including: speech pathologists, hepatologists, neurologists and acupuncturists.
- GP 73%
- Podiatry 21%
- Cardiologist 28%
- Physiotherapist 20%
- Mental health counsellor 25%
Top five services people would like to access in their community but can't
- Mental health counselor 16%
- Exercise physiologist 12%
- Dentist 9%
- Dietitian 9%
- Podiatrist 5%
Top five reasons that prevented people from accessing services
- 59% said a dentist costs too much but 20% didn't want to go anyway
- 46% said they didn't need occupational therapy but 23% said they had didn't have access to occupational therapy in their community
- 41% also said a trip to the physiotherapist was too expensive and 15% had no services in their town
- 37% said it takes too long to get into see their doctor and 17% said the appointment time doesn't suit them
- 25% said a trip to a cardiologist is too far from home and 19% said they had issues with transport to get to the appointment
Top five programs wanted in communities
- Strength training/ exercise groups 51%
- Walking groups 51%
- Health services delivered via telehealth 49%
- Healthy ageing information 45%
- Diet and nutrition information 44%
Ideas to support the needs of people living with chronic disease
- care plan co-ordinators/ care co-ordination/ shared care
- reduce risk factors e.g. sugar tax
- health literacy education
- better services for vulnerable and low-income
- information about health services available to communities
- GPs more informed about referrals
- more nursing and allied health staff
- shared health records (My Health Record)
- telehealth to reduce travelling
- support people to care for themselves
- buddy systems/ shared outings to improve physical and mental health
- stopping the stigma (Stop Mental Illness Stigma)
- awarding communities with excellence e.g. reaching immunisation targets
