Objective: Cardiac patients require intensive support in self-management. While effective, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is limited in both content and reach and attendance rates are low, particularly amongst patients of ATSI origin and other hard-to-reach groups. Practice nurses (PNs) and Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) are well placed to deliver secondary prevention care to patients. The purpose of the project was to train PNs and AHWs to deliver a flexible chronic disease self-management (CDSM) intervention to cardiac patients.
Methods: Two CDSM training programs were delivered, one in Mildura and one in Newcastle. In addition, focus groups on coordination of care were run in both communities. Participants (N=54) were interviewed prior to attending the training, completed questionnaires following training and were re-interviewed two months later. The evaluation covered the acceptability of the CDSM training, CDSM self-efficacy and attitudes, and practice change.
Results: The approach was found to be beneficial for the three professional groups, with the CDSM subject material well accepted. All three groups improved over the course of the training and sustained these improvements two months later. Participants reported numerous practice changes to support CDSM practice. In addition, within two months of the training, participants had increased their network and the number of referrals between ATSI services, CR programs and general practice.
Conclusions: Joint training of AHWs, CR staff and PNs has had real benefits in terms of interprofessional communication and the adoption of CDSM promoting practices. Implications for more widespread dissemination of this approach will be discussed.