Background
General practices in NZ |
NZ general practices operate using a mixed model of publicly and privately funded health care; however, this funding arrangement contributes to inequities [26]. Individuals formally enrol with a specific general practice and generally each time they see a staff member (typically general practitioners (GPs) and primary care nurses, but increasingly other health support workers), they make a co-payment. Practices receive government capitation funding which accounts for population demographics with funding-payments made according to the number of people enrolled and not the number of times a provider sees each patient. Practices serving populations in which at least 50% are classified as high needs (e.g. Māori, Pacific or lower socioeconomic) may choose to operate as Very Low-cost Access (VLCA) practices. In return for additional government funding these practices provide free services for children 13 years or younger and, and maximum co-payments for all other age groups are set at low levels [26]. (For example, see fee comparisons in Table 3.) This is intended to support practices to develop service delivery models that are most suited to the populations they serve and reduce health inequities |
Methods
Aim
Ethical considerations
Study design
Setting
Data collection and analysis
Analysis of focus group data
Analysis of clinical records
Cross case analysis
Researcher roles and reflexivity
Results
Practice A | Practice B | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 Focus group
|
Phase 2 Note review
|
Phase 3 Focus group
| Phase 1c Focus group |
Phase 2 Note review
|
Phase 3 Focus group
| |
Clinicians | ||||||
GPs | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 | ||
Nurses | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | ||
Allied health workersa
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
Health support workersb
| 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||
Case notes reviewed | 6 | 5 |
Practice A | Practice B | |
---|---|---|
Location | Urban practice, New Zealand City | Urban practice, New Zealand City |
Region decile scoresa
| 1–5 (least—medium deprivation) | 10 (most deprived) |
Enrolled populationb
| ||
Total | 12,500 | 7000 |
Māori | 10% | 23% |
Pacific Peoples | 5% | 46% |
European and other | 85% | 31% |
Business model | Privately owned | Incorporated Society |
Funding model | Capitation formula | Very low-cost access |
Practice feesb
| ||
Under 14 years | free | free |
14–17 | NZ$39 | free |
18–24 | NZ$44 | free |
25–64 | NZ$50 | NZ$18 |
Over 65 | NZ$47.50 | NZ$7 |
Nurse consultation | NZ$25–30 | free |
Staffing mix | GPs, nurses, social worker, pharmacist, health care assistant | GPs, nurses, social worker, pharmacist, health support workersc
|
Staff directly involved in pre-diabetes care | GPs, nurses. Referral to other services as required | GPs, nurses, health support workers. Referral to other services as required |
Proportions of enrolled population with pre-diabetes or T2DMb
| ||
Pre-diabetes or T2DM | 8%, n = 961 | 16%, n = 1101 |
Pre-diabetes | ||
Total | 3.1%, n = 491 | 8.7%, n = 559 |
Māori | 3.2% | 7.5% |
Pacific Peoples | 6.3% | 10.2% |
T2DM | ||
Total | 3.8%, n = 470 | 7.3%, n = 502 |
Māori | 3.9% | 5.1%, |
Pacific Peoples | 8.6% | 9.7%, |
Case specific themes
Practice A | Practice B |
---|---|
1. Perceptions of Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is an ambiguous condition with uncertain outcomes The diagnosis of pre-diabetes provides a Health coaching/Educational opportunity Pre-diabetes is a social issue | 1. Team based approach and model of care
A team-based approach is critical to pre-diabetes care |
2. Change facilitators
Good clinician – patient relationships are critical Change is gradual, a L longitudinal approach is required | 2. Diabetes prevention work
Complex care, hard to prioritise Time consuming Limited by system level/societal issues |
3. Challenges
Who to target and how intensively? How can pre-diabetes care be targeted to those most at risk and to ensure the best use of resources/time? Competing clinical priorities Patient readiness to change Weight loss vs other approaches Practice record systems | 3. Change facilitators
Engagement, motivation, personal agency Acceptable intervention options |
4. Challenges
Concentration of high needs population Social determinants of health Health literacy Normalisation of diabetes Vulnerable missing groups |
Cross case findings
Theme 1: Health Care Context
… [it’s] our targets that really drives a lot of what we do and what we prioritise, and if it’s over 65’s then it’s over 65’s, so what happens to the others? … so our funding is connected to [targets], so we’re always aiming to get that. (Practice B HCW 3).
There is an issue, where you’re always prioritising what you’re dealing with, ‘cause you can’t deal with everything… And pre-diabetes, I think just drops right down the list, often, because the other issues are more pressing. … it’s really, really difficult to create space for pre-diabetes. (Practice B GP 2).
Theme 2: Practice population and the social determinants of health
Because some of it’s economic. You know, it’s social. It’s about having the right job, … and being able to afford to buy veggies as opposed to bread at $1 a packet. … It’s not just health providers that make a difference (Practice A GP 1).
… the rent prices going up, especially with this community, where they’re in emergency housing, and they’re not able to take time off work…. Like these are the people [for whom their health] isn’t their first priority and usually they’re not their first priority, their children are, or their family members are. (Practice B Nurse 2).
I was talking to a patient about … diet, and he says I’ve got four children, and they’re not going to eat what you want me to eat, so I’m not going to take my money to buy food that nobody’s going to eat. … he said at the end of the day, we’re still struggling just to pay for rent. (Practice B Nurse 3).
Theme 3: Perspectives regarding pre-diabetes
I think we invest a huge amount of time in people with HbA1c at 41, who are never going to get diabetes. I’ve tracked these people for 20 years, and they don’t. Whereas if you’ve got an HbA1c of 46, 47 and you’re obese, and you’re Indian, Pacific Islander, [have] a family history [of diabetes], then you’re probably going to get diabetes, (Practice A GP 1).
Theme 4: Current practices
… all about just trying to give them the best information in the time you have in a way they understand, and ultimately, it’s their responsibility to do with that what they will. (Practice A Nurse 2).
… it’s really good that we do get the whole handover straight away from our GPs and nurses … so we get to like talk to them right there on the spot, and then just follow on from what’s been said, but you know, the diet and exercise. … the sad thing is, …. for some of them, they don’t attend. … What we’re realising now, is what the doctors have been going through. [Like the Doctors] we’re chasing them up to make sure they are trying to, or they need extra support or other programmes we can refer them to, …. A lot of people are the same, their self-care’s usually last thing, and we try and work around it as well. (Practice B HCW 1).
Sometimes patients struggle to change behaviours and beliefs they have been doing for most of their lives. So, I try to focus on their values/beliefs and their strengths, this helps with motivation. (Practice B HSW 1).
it’s really important to also engage in the community as well, instead of just being in our clinic, … so, it’s being visible, … and you know, walking the talk… it is about walking alongside them. (Practice B Nurse 2)
Discussion
Findings within the context of current literature
1. Implement a whole of systems approach to pre-diabetes care which honours the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangia, and in addition to general practice care includes public health and social services measures. This should address the fundamental root causes of pre-diabetes and T2DM such as inequalities in SDOH, racism, food environments, and physical environments |
2. Review funding systems, to ensure proactive, comprehensive equitable pre-diabetes care is incentivised and can be provided in a range of settings including general practice or community settings |
2.1 Appropriately fund pre-diabetes care in general practice and other organisations, with particular emphasis on resourcing services and different disciplines and skill sets for team-based interprofessional care. Specify the skill sets and agencies required to provide comprehensive culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions and how they should work collaboratively |
3. Develop the evidence base for effective and sustainable lifestyle modification particularly in relation to high-risk populations. Such approaches may best be done through a whānau ora model [91] which is integrated into care pathways and guidelines |
3.1 Given the evidence, the fundamental importance of weight loss in diabetes prevention needs to be emphasised in diabetes prevention services; however, this must be done in a culturally tailored manner |
3.1.1 Implement evidence-based measures to support weight loss including use of dieticians, and culturally adapted community-led, [92] whānau/group or possible commercial programmes |
3.2 Partner with communities affected by high prevalence of T2DM (such as groups related to ethnicity, geographic region, socio-economic status, community or intergenerational patterns of diabetes) to develop and employ new models of diabetes prevention which are community/whānau focused, culturally congruent and target multigenerational patterns of diabetes |
3.3 Research the outcomes of current and new models of care |
4. Refine national guidelines for pre-diabetes care |
4.1 Develop simple tools to risk stratify those with pre-diabetes, so that higher risk groups can be more intensively targeted, and resources used wisely |
4.2 Emphasise the importance of pre-diabetes care in management guidelines. Ensure the guidelines: |
4.2.1 include social deprivation in the list of risk factors for T2DM, so this is highlighted, and those experiencing deprivation are appropriately screened |
4.2.2 develop separate pre-diabetes treatment algorithms which: |
4.2.2.1 specify recommended treatment intensity, treatment escalation and frequency of monitoring which are linked to level of risk |
4.2.2.2 clarify when and in what groups metformin should be prescribed |
4.2.2.3 incorporate appropriate guidance for assessment and management of other risk factors or co-morbidities |
4.2.3 acknowledge that deprivation makes attending appointments and adopting evidence-based guidance more challenging and integrate into guidelines how this can be addressed |