Gold Stars For Western Bay of Plenty PHO

Gold Stars For Western Bay of Plenty PHO

The Heart Foundation congratulates Western Bay of Plenty PHO for being ahead of the pack when it comes to heart checks.

The PHO is the first to risk assess over 75 percent of its eligible population for cardiovascular disease, a target that has been set by the Government for primary care to achieve by July this year.

Heart Foundation Medical Director Norman Sharpe says this is a great achievement, as three years ago Western Bay of Plenty PHO had one of the lowest assessment rates in the country at under 30 percent.
“Reaching 75 percent from just 30 percent is an important milestone. It demonstrates that with focus and the right strategies, leaps and bounds can be made.

“75 percent translates to 34,637 people in Western BOP who now understand their likelihood of developing heart disease and what they can do to reduce their risk. That’s 34,637 people who now have the right information to shape their future heart health,” he says.

The Heart Foundation has interviewed top performing PHOs from the Ministry of Health’s quarterly results to better understand the strategies and initiatives that are contributing to success when it comes to heart checks. A series of case studies have been developed to share these insights.

“When you visit the Western Bay of Plenty PHO and practices you see their success lies in their commitment to practice leadership, quality improvement methods and in finding innovative ways to access patients for cardiovascular risk assessments,” says Professor Sharpe.
Western BOP PHO General Practice Coordinator, Donna McArley, agrees that leadership and having someone ‘own’ CVD at a practice level is paramount.

“CVD risk assessment has the potential to make a big impact on the health of our populations so we really put an emphasis on having an advocate at the practice level.

“It’s the people on the ground who make the biggest difference, so one of the first initiatives we put in place was to recommend a CVD champion in each practice. Sometimes it’s a GP and sometimes it’s a nurse and both work, but it’s essential to make sure there is a champion,” says Donna.

Another insight from the Western BOP PHO is the need to ensure good data is available with real-time feedback.

“Having the right data on hand to assess performance against targets, as well as clinical risk factors and clinical management has helped practice teams to more readily identify areas for improvement and develop a plan.

“We find practices really value the feedback and being able to track the contribution they are making towards preventing heart disease in their communities,” says Donna.

Leadership, quality improvement and patient access to services are proving to be equally essential for other PHOs when it comes to successful CV risk assessment. For example, the Midlands Network has a quality improvement framework which drives improvement across every practice, with each having its own quality plan and targets. Ora Toa PHO in Porirua offers free access to CV risk assessments for their patients and a wide range of wrap-around services to support management.

Professor Sharpe says the ‘more heart and diabetes’ checks target is a significant challenge for primary care but one we can’t shy away from.

“Although we’ve seen a decrease in heart disease in the past 45 years, changes to the way Kiwis live, work and play mean we’re on a trajectory for heart disease to rise. Research released last week shows more ‘mid-lifers’ are experiencing high blood pressure compared to 10 years ago, which is just one factor we need to urgently address through more heart checks.

“We’re hoping that by showcasing key success factors gleaned from the leading PHOs, we’re also demonstrating that 90% by 2014 is achievable and, above all, necessary if we’re really going to have an impact on New Zealand heart health,” he says.

ENDS

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