DOR Report_2010 - Diabetes Outreach

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in Australia. The burden of diabetes is also much
greater for people in low socioeconomic circumstances, Aboriginal people and those from rural and remote
areas. For the above groups there are higher levels of disability, morbidity and mortality 3 4 . Data highlights
that;
> In 2007, South Australia had 82,500 adults (age 16 years and over) living with diabetes in rural and
remote South Australia 5 . This is a 15% increase from 2003.
> Diabetes complications are the leading cause of potentially avoidable hospitalisations in South
Australia in 2005/06 and 2006/07 6 .
> Comparisons done between metropolitan Adelaide and rural and remote South Australia in June
2005 found the prevalence of diabetes to be significantly higher in rural and remote South
Australia, 10.2% compared to 7.8%, a 2.4% difference 7 .
> Persons living in rural and remote regions generally have worse health, in terms of mortality,
hospitalisation rates and risk factors compared to those living in metropolitan areas 3 .
> South Australia has the most geographically isolated Aboriginal communities in Australia 8 .
> Diagnosis of diabetes in Aboriginal people in 2004-05 were double that of the non-Aboriginal
population 9 .
> There are 191 children living in rural and remote South Australia with type 1 diabetes, 29 of these
are on insulin pump therapy 10 . 127 young adults between the age of 18 and 25 with type 1
diabetes are living in country South Australia, with 64 of these on insulin pump therapy 10 .
> Diabetes shows up some 10 years earlier in Aboriginal people than non-Aboriginal people.
Diabetes Outreach aims to improve health for rural and remote South Australians by supporting the capacity
of local health professionals in providing evidence based diabetes education and care. Diabetes Outreach
has six complementary strategies to achieve this.
> Adopting a whole-of-population approach.
> Developing and promoting standards of care.
> Training and support for health professionals who provide care and education to people with diabetes and
those at risk of diabetes.
> Developing and maintaining professional and consumer resources.
> Supporting and promoting local and statewide networking and collaboration.
> Promoting quality assurance and appropriate documentation.
The vision of Diabetes Outreach is:
“Better health for rural and remote South Australians by supporting health service providers towards
best practice in diabetes care.”
The 2007-2008 Country Health SA Service Agreement has formed the framework for the presentation of this
report (Attachment C).
The Service Agreement is currently under review.
Diabetes Outreach Report 2010
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