Facts about Diabetes

• Diabetes is the world's fastest growing disease. It is the seventh major cause of death due to disease in Australia.
• The Federal Government includes diabetes as one of its national health priorities, with a cost to the nation exceeding 1.2 billion dollars per year.
• Every 10 minutes, someone somewhere in Australia is diagnosed with diabetes.
• It is estimated that over one million Australians have diabetes, half of whom are undiagnosed (type 2 diabetes).
• As this massive growth rate continues its steady climb, it is estimated that more than 1.7 million people will have diabetes by 2010.

Resources for General Practice

Diabetes Management in General Practice 2010/11

This is an essential guide providing a readable summary of current guidelines and recommendations from various sources on the management of type 2 diabetes in the general practice setting. You can download an electronic version, or contact the Australian Diabetes Council on 1300 342 238 for a hard copy.

Best Practice guidelines for General Practice - Australian Diabetes Council website

Australian Diabetes Council provides diabetes related information for health professionals, including best practice guidelines and access to recent reports on prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes.

Conducting Nurse Led Diabetes Clinics 

This document was compiled by the CWDGP to aid practice nurses in setting up and conducting a diabetes clinic. You can download the a copy of  Conducting Nurse Led Diabetes Clinics Document 

Annual Cycle of Care attracting a SIP Payment

The minimal level of routine assessment is:

• 6 monthly - BP, Ht/Wt/Waist, BMI, Foot Assessment  
• 12 monthly - HbA1c, Lipids, Microalbuminurea, and review of smoking, diet, physical activity, self management education and medication.
• 24 monthly - Eye Assessment

NB. More frequent patient review will be required for those patient's with complications and/or other co-mobidities.

If your practice is accredited, a SIP payment is available each 12 months provided all components of the Annual Cycle of Care is completed and documented.

Simultainiously, a patient can be managed via a General Practice Management Plan (GPMP), Team Care Arrangement (TCA) and Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) referral.

A flowchart has been developed to assist you understand the timeframes recommended by Medicare for the development and potential review of a GPMP and TCA, and how the patient review process can be linked with an Annual Cycle of Care and Medicare claim.

The Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK)

The Australian type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool has been developed to allow individuals to assess their own risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If an individual score 12 points or above they have a one-in-fourteen chance of developing diabetes in the next 5 years. 

A key component of the Commonwealth Government's Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Program is to allow the GP to refer eligible patients to an accredited, subsidised Lifestyle Modification Program (LMPs) to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle Modification Programs  

Patients who score 12 points or more on the AUSDRISK tool and who have had diabetes excluded, can be referred to a Lifestyle Modification Program if they fit the following criteria: 

• are between 40-49 years of age; or
• are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander 15–54 years of age.

To download a two page information booklet on the Lifestyle Modification Program, click here.

To download a General Practitioner Referral Form click here.