Diabetes
Everyone with diabetes should have access to a structured programme of care incorporating all aspects of diabetes care. At Millbrae Surgery we run a designated education and follow up programme for all adults diagnosed with diabetes mellitus as part of the HSE & ICGP National Model of Integrated Care.
At our Surgery we offer:
- Monitoring of risk factors for Diabetes and advice on prevention
- Diagnosis with blood glucose and HbA1c testing
- Education about the condition and its management
- Referral to self-management programmes eg X-PERT, CODE and DESMOND
- Referral to Retinal Screening
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Cholesterol monitoring
- Kidney function checks
- Lifestyle advice including diet, weight, activity recommendations
- Foot care advice and annual examination
- Medical treatment
- Onward referral to specialist nurses and hospital clinics where needed
Diabetes mellitus is a complex condition that has a profound impact on the quality of life of people living with the condition and on the health services as a whole. People with diabetes also run a greater risk of developing one or more severe health complications, which can greatly impact on their independence, quality of life and economic contribution to society.
In Ireland it is estimated that there are 190,000 (5.6%) of the Irish population with diabetes (Institute of Public Health in Ireland, 2007). Approximately 30,000 (15%) of these people do not have Type 2 diabetes, but either have Type 1 diabetes, or genetic or secondary causes of diabetes. The remaining 160,000 (85%) patients have Type 2 diabetes. A significant proportion of these patients (20-30%) remain undiagnosed. It is expected that the number of people with Type 2 diabetes will increase by 60% over the next 10-15 years.
Against this backdrop of an increasing prevalence of predominantly Type 2 diabetes in the community the Diabetes Programme established a National Diabetes Working Group with the joint involvement of healthcare providers in primary, secondary and tertiary care sectors to devise methodologies for dealing with these patients.
