Implementation and evaluation of a university-hospital partnership program for Type 2 diabetes

ConclusionThe partnership resulted in a new model of care for patients with T2D and increased learning experiences for students.What is known about the topic?Diabetes is the fastest growing disease in Australia, placing unsustainable demands on the health system. Access to patient-centred care and self-management education is essential to optimise glycaemic control, prevent or delay complications and maintain quality of life. The increasing demand of diabetes on the health system affects access to timely care, with unacceptably long wait times reported, resulting in an increase in morbidity and mortality and poor patient satisfaction. A potential solution is the use of clinical students to contribute to service delivery. Student-assisted and student-led health clinics have increased access to care across the globe for many years.What does the paper add?Although group education has the potential to reduce the burden on clinical service delivery, it was unclear whether a partnership program using students and university and hospital resources would be acceptable to people with T2D and whether this model delivered at a UHC would be sustainable and of benefit to both the health service and university. The results of the evaluation suggest that a university-hospital partnership program is well accepted by participants, well attended, reduces the number of patients waiting for a hospital appointment longer than the acceptable waiting times, increases UHC activity and provides inter...

Source: Australian Health Review - November 16, 2021 Category: Hospital Management Authors: Jane Musial Andrea Cawte Robert Mullins Mary Hannan-Jones Susan de Jersey Source Type: research