Chronically Ill NZers Better Served Than Aussies

Chronically Ill New Zealanders Better Served Than Australians

New Zealand’s Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) better position the country to deal with the fact most chronically ill New Zealanders suffer from multiple illnesses, a team of researchers led by Dr Clive Aspin at the University of Sydney has found.

Chronic illnesses – including heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis - are the leading cause of illness in New Zealand and account for more than 80 per cent of deaths. Trans-Tasman analysis published in the latest Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health finds those with multi-morbid chronic illnesses tend to have each condition treated in isolation

“Just over half of chronically ill New Zealand adults live with multi-morbid (more than one) chronic illnesses,” says Dr Aspin from the University’s Menzies Centre for Health Policy.

“PHOs have seen most patients enrolled with, and consistently attending, one primary health provider. This goes some way towards ensuring general practitioners know about multiple conditions. In Australia, the lack of such networks and the provision of funding, policy and service delivery across different levels of government inhibits coordination.”

However, Dr Aspin says New Zealand health policy could be better designed to provide guidance for the effective prevention and management of multi-morbid chronic illness.

“Increases in longevity, type-two diabetes among young people and average blood pressure among children point chronic illness rising further. Obviously an increased burden on health systems will ensue.

“An uncoordinated approach to dealing with multiple chronic diseases doesn’t account for one disease contraindicating treatment of another and this can lead to serious complications,” says “A lack of policy specifically addressing multi-morbidity, affecting the majority of people with chronic illness, also suggests an inefficient use of health funds.

“For chronically ill patients, a lack of coordinated care can add to their confusion and anxiety

“Health care workers need guidelines about how to care for people with multiple chronic illnesses so they can treat them in combination. At the policy end, policy makers need to work with clinicians and patients to develop appropriate guidelines for the treatment of multi-morbid chronic illness.”

The paper Health policy responses to rising rates of multi-morbid chronic illness in Australia and New Zealand analysed health policy documents on both sides of the Tasman. The Australian findings were similar, showing both countries face challenges from rising rates of chronic illnesses.

ENDS

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