CHAMPIONS OF DIABETES MEDICAL CARE RECEIVE RESEARCH BOOST

Aboriginal Nurse, The, Spring 2009

National Diabetes Management Strategy receives $500,000 contribution from Novo Nordisk for research in family practice

For most Canadians with diabetes the medical leader or 'champion' of diabetes management is their family physician. In fact, at least threequarters of people with diabetes receive their care solely from a family physician rather than a specialist such as an endocrinologist or an internal medicine specialist.1

In this leadership role, physicians and other health professionals need up-to-date education and information. The good news is that a unique research program, the National Diabetes Management Strategy, has received new funding to help research the treatment of diabetes in family practices.

The Strategy has received a $500,000 boost in funding from Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. to conduct the research and ultimately aims to improve the lives of people with the disease. It is a joint initiative of The University of Western Ontario (Western) and the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), led by Dr. Stewart Harris, the Canadian Diabetes Association Chair in Diabetes Management at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

"As a clinician/researcher in family medicine and diabetes, I know there are many challenges involved in treating diabetes in an extremely busy primary care setting," says Dr. Harris. "This funding from Novo Nordisk will support our efforts to define the problems and gaps in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and help identify solutions to improve the care of people with diabetes."

The overall goal of the Strategy is to gather data from family practices, understand it and translate it into the best possible health outcomes for people with diabetes. According to Dr. Harris' research, Canadians with type 2 diabetes visit their family physician approximately nine times a year, and about two-thirds of these visits are for diabetes management.

"As a leading diabetes company in Canada we are extremely proud to support the National Diabetes Management Strategy and the tools it will provide to healthcare professionals, particularly in the family practice setting," says Vince Lamanna, President, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. "The human cost of the disease is tremendous including blindness, heart disease, kidney problems and nerve damage. Supporting the Strategy offers us a meaningful opportunity to help more family doctors better manage diabetes earlier to prevent serious complications."

"While we've seen tremendous strides in preventive approaches and treatments for people with diabetes, the epidemic continues to broaden and deepen," says Ellen Malcolmson, President and CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association. "With support from our partners, like this donation for the Strategy, we can help arm primary healthcare physicians and allied health professionals with new information and tools they need to help reverse the epidemic, ultimately benefiting the millions of Canadians impacted by this disease."

-30-

1. Jaakkimainen, L. Shah BR and Kopp A. Sources of Physician Care for People with Diabetes. In: Hux J, Booth G, Slaughter P, Laupacis A. (eds) Diabetes in Ontario: An ICES Practice Atlas: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. 2003: .9.183.

2. Harris, S, Stewart M, Brown JB, et al. Type 2 diabetes in family practice: room for improvement. Can Fam Physician. 2003;49:778-785.