Home is where the heart program is
In an Australian first, the private health care sector has joined forces with internationally renowned heart researchers to improve the quality of life of people with chronic heart disease.
The Young @ Heart Health Care Program is a new pilot service aimed at identifying the benefits of patient education, home-based support and lifestyle intervention in delaying the onset of further heart problems in people who have previously been admitted to hospital with heart disease.
Young @ Heart is a collaboration between private health fund MBF Australia, the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and UnitingCare Health's Wesley Hospital and St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane.
The passage of broader health cover legislation last year has enabled private health funds to be more proactive in developing initiatives to support members with long-term health problems. If successful, the Young @ Heart program may be expanded and offered to MBF patients across Australia.
"The risk of a patient with chronic heart disease returning to hospital following a cardiac event is very high," said Dr Christine Bennett, Chief Medical Officer, Bupa Australia (which owns and operates MBF Australia). "By helping patients identify the health behaviours that worsen their condition and by encouraging good health habits, we expect to reduce the likelihood of them returning to hospital and improve their quality of life and health outcomes."
Under the pilot service, private patients who have been admitted to hospital following a cardiac event will have their lifestyle assessed in their home by a specialist cardiac nurse within seven to 14 days of leaving hospital.
The 'enhanced intervention' program includes the cardiac nurse, the patient's own GP, specialists and other health professionals, such as dietitians and pharmacists, in a multi-disciplinary approach. This team-based approach will more effectively monitor patients' health and personalised health risk reduction plans will be developed.
The program is being run under the supervision of Professor Simon Stewart of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute who recently reported on Australia's explosive obesity problem.
"Young @ Heart responds to the challenge of slowing the epidemic of heart disease within our ageing community and will look at the effectiveness of tailored home care for patients being managed in the private health system," Professor Stewart said. "Although we are piloting this specific initiative, the results will inform the treatment of our broader patient population."
One thousand patients will be recruited through the program. Half will receive the enhanced intervention program. The other patients will receive current best practice health support delivered by their specialist, GP and support team.
MBF members who have been admitted to The Wesley Hospital or St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane may be eligible to participate in the trial.
"As a key provider of cardiac services in Queensland, UnitingCare Health is committed to quality improvement and research" said Richard Royle, CEO of UnitingCare Health. "Our participation in Young @ Heart reinforces our dedication to quality patient care and the continuum of care post discharge. Our cardiac nurses at The Wesley Hospital and St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital will work collaboratively with cardiologists and the GP community to establish a support program for our patients which focuses on preventative health and quality of life."
Young @ Heart also aims to address the existing lack of research into the effectiveness and affordability of disease management programs, especially in Australia's private health sector. The MBF Foundation has separately provided a grant to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The Young @ Heart Health Care Program will run for three years.
