Australian Diabetes Management Program: A Critical Evaluation

Non-communicable Diseases 1
Non-communicable Diseases
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Non-communicable Diseases 2
Non-communicable Diseases
Introduction
The process of healthcare management involves interventions based on policy
frameworks and implementation strategies. In most cases, the management of diseases is usually
founded on clinical evidence that is used to generate guidelines to be followed. These guidelines
are clearly documented to meet the needs of the targeted population by adhering to quality
practices (Dunning, Duggan, and Savage, 2014). In Australia, the healthcare system is focused
on improving patients’ experiences by enhancing quality of services that define diverse care
interventions. Non-communicable diseases are some of the key areas that the state and territorial
governments have considered in order to improve the general health of the public. This paper
focused on the diabetes management framework in the country and offers a critical evaluation of
the fundamental approaches adopted in the care program.
Overview of the Program
The Australian diabetes management program is a long-term intervention that was
initiated by the national government (Department of Health, 2016). The program was established
to respond to the increasing diagnosis of the condition in the country. The focus of the strategy
was on how the available limited resources could be sustainably used to meet the healthcare
needs associated with this non-communicable disease. The program was designed with the sole
purpose of coordinating resources and skills to target the affected communities with the desire of
reducing overrepresentations and diagnoses. Therefore, the strategy was enacted based on the
identified most effective measures and interventions in line with national and global performance
milestones associated with the reduction of diabetes cases (Department of Health, 2016). In such
a case, the Australian diabetes management strategy was tailored to foster prevention, treatment,

Non-communicable Diseases 3
management, and research across different population sets and communities across the country.
Diabetes is a common condition in the country, which explains why the government came up
with this framework to reduce the impact of the condition on individuals, communities, and the
state (Wickramasinghe, Schattner, Hibbert, Enticott, Georgeff, and Russell, 2013). The expert-
based strategy is multidimensional and founded on clinical evidence while paying attention to
international standards.
Role of the Program and Targeted Community or Population
The program was designed to enhance the wellbeing of Australian communities by
improving prevention capacities, care management, and access to treatment intervention. The
targeted groups included children, teenagers, young adults, and older adults. The framework
targeted both males and females to ensure an equitable transformation of community health
(Department of Health, 2016). Although the program was meant for the general public, special
populations with a high prevalence rate and high-risk factors were also included as high priority
targets. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are considered as a priority population
in diabetes management programs. Older adults are also part of the priority group based on the
high risks associated with this population in the country. The framework was designed to
identify, address, and mitigate the causative factors as well as the elements that impede
successful treatment and prevention (Azzopardi, Brown, and Zimmet, 2012). It is important to
highlight that exposure to risk factors increases the degree of vulnerability to diabetes. In this
case, the government emphasized the need for robust prevention mechanisms as the primary goal
to control the increasing rate of diabetes diagnosis. Such a move explains why the program
incorporated the initiatives that could be used to achieve a high level of diabetes prevention.

Non-communicable Diseases 4
The role of this program was to meet the nation’s multidimensional needs relating to
diabetes. The first role of the framework is to ensure that there is a total mitigation of barriers to
diabetes prevention both in long-term and short-term. Therefore, the government collaborated
with the state and territorial administrative authorities to implement a multi-sectorial response at
national, regional, and community levels (Department of Health, 2016). The key stakeholders for
this program included diabetes patients and their families, care professionals, research institutes,
targeted communities, the government, non-governmental organizations, and pharmaceutical
industries. The program was also established with the purpose of strengthening all sectors and
units of government that are responsible for implementing, planning, developing, and evaluating
every integrated and coordinated initiatives towards improved diabetes prevention and
management. Such a move improves diabetes management outcomes (Emden, Shaw, and
Colman, 2012). In this program, the government developed guiding principles based on clinical
evidence and nursing standards of practice to enhance the efforts geared towards comprehensive
implementation and monitoring of program services and initiatives. However, it was also
necessary to scale down the strategy to state and territory levels to ensure that the scope of the
program according to the set milestones. Moreover, to enhance the effectiveness of this strategy,
the government used the annual reports to improve and restructure key areas within the
implementation guidelines to improve quality.
Furthermore, apart from prevention and care management goals, the program was
designed to address other essential areas that influence successful control and mitigation of
communicable conditions. Therefore, the other objective of the program was to create an
enabling system or environment to foster the achievement of prevention and management of the
condition. The process of creating an enabling framework included the establishment of