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Celine Sun

Up to 9,000 diabetic patients in New  Territories East are now getting more help in monitoring their  health under a newly launched Hospital Authority initiative.  
The  programme offers risk assessment, electronic records and a platform for patients to share  experiences. It  seeks to combine efforts by doctors, nurses, and patients and their families to provide more comprehensive treatment and care. 
For example, each patient gets a copy of their assessment result after visiting the doctor, showing how likely they are to be  affected by diabetic complications, such as coronary heart disease, renal failure or strokes, in the next five years. 
'In such a way, patients will have a clear idea about their own situations and hopefully take proper measures to take better care of themselves,' Dr Fung Hong,  chief executive of New Territories East Cluster, said. 
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the city, with one in 10 people afflicted. 
Fung said  only 40 per cent of  diabetic patients in New Territories East took good  care of their blood sugar, blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, the  major markers  of their health.   
With the help of Chinese University, the  authority will use an  online platform  to collect  relevant information about patients and the treatments they have received.  The records could then be checked by  doctors.  Diabetic patients need to see a doctor every three months.
This will be combined with a risk-assessment and management programme that rates patients'  chances of developing  complications. 
Under another effort, called the Pearl programme,  patients will be encouraged to share their  experiences in dealing with the illness, while nurses will provide guidance to high-risk patients.  It is estimated the programme will benefit 8,000 to 9,000  of the 44,000 diabetic patients  receiving treatment in the area. 
'We are confident that more patients will see their situations improve after joining our programmes,' Fung said. 
The authority would explore the possibility of applying the methods to other chronic diseases.



Authority's initiatives to aid diabetic patients