Project Summary
Evaluate the long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of existing resources available for people with or at risk of diabetes to reduce CVD
What is the issue for NSW?
Diabetes leads to lots of different complications, including cardiovascular disease. This has a big impact on individuals, their families and society in general. Most complications from diabetes are preventable and there are existing resources funded by the government through Medicare to help achieve this. However, we do not know whether the resources that are available to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease and other diabetes-related complications are being used well. It is also unknown if use of these resources leads to better health outcomes for people at risk of, or with, diabetes in the long term.
Navigating our complex health system is challenging and consequently there may be significant gaps in health professional and consumer awareness of existing resources for diabetes prevention and care which can result in underuse of services.
What does the research aim to do and how?
This study uses survey data from the 45 and Up Study which is linked to routinely collected health data (such as hospitalisations and Medicare claims) to examine the scale of the diabetes epidemic and the impact of this on rates of CVD and other diabetes-related complications. This study will also investigate whether existing government funded Medicare resources available to prevent diabetes and CVD and other diabetes-related complications are being used effectively. Finally, this study will investigate whether people who use these services have better long-term health outcomes.