Diabetes
Work of the Australian Government on diabetes
Information about initiatives for diabetes prevention, support, research and monitoring.
- Preventing diabetes
- Supporting people with diabetes
- Investing in diabetes research
- Monitoring diabetes
Preventing diabetes
The Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Program is a Council of Australian Governments initiative that aims to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. The Australian Government's contribution to this initiative enables people aged 40-49 years who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes to receive lifestyle modification advice from their general practitioner who may refer them to a subsidised lifestyle modification program.Other Australian Government funded campaigns in place to encourage Australians to adopt healthy lifestyles and reduce the prevalence of diabetes risk factors include:
Supporting people with diabetes
The Australian Government supports people living with diabetes by subsidising diabetes related medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and by providing access to subsidised diabetes related consumables and information on diabetes management through the National Diabetes Services Scheme. In addition, a means-tested subsidy is available to eligible young people with type 1 diabetes to make insulin pumps more affordable.The Australian Government also supports diabetes management by subsidising GP and allied health services through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). The chronic disease management (CDM) Medicare items aim to improve planning and coordination of care by GPs for people with chronic medical conditions and complex care needs, and encourage a multidisciplinary approach to health care. Once a GP management plan (MBS item 721) and team care arrangements (MBS item 723) are in place, a GP can refer a patient to allied health services, including those provided by podiatrists, physiotherapists, dietitans, diabetes educators, exercise physiologists and psychologists. Patients with diabetes who have a GP management plan, can also access group services provided by Medicare eligible diabetes educators, exercise physiologists and dietitians on referred from the GP.
The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program supports general practices to improve clinical health outcomes, reduce lifestyle risk factors, and maintain the health of patients with chronic and complex conditions, including type 2 diabetes. General practices involved in the first phase of the Collaboratives Program, made measurable improvements in patient care and health outcomes, including a 97% improvement in the percentage of patients with HbA1c levels (an indicator of blood glucose control) equal to or below 7%.
In addition, the Practice Incentives Program provides incentives to practices for providing early diagnosis and best practice management of patients with type 2 diabetes.
For more information, please refer to the following pages:
- National Diabetes Services Scheme
- CDM Medicare items
- Allied health (individual) services under Medicare
- Allied health group services under medicare for people with type 2 diabetes
- Australian Primary Care Collaboratives
- Practice Incentives Program Top of page
Investing in diabetes research
The Australian Government invests in diabetes research through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The Australian Government also supports the Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre as a joint initiative of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the NHMRC. The work of the centre involves research into developing a vaccine or preventative immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes.Further information on the Government's research investment in diabetes
Monitoring diabetes
The Australian Government funds the National Centre for Monitoring Diabetes within the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the National Diabetes Registry, an AIHW managed database that collects information about people who use insulin as part of their diabetes management.AIHW reports on diabetes
Another way of monitoring diabetes prevalence in Australia is by using data from the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). De-identified data on NDSS registrants can be analysed to monitor trends in the prevalence of diabetes in Australia. As registration on the NDSS requires a doctor or credentialed diabetes educator to certify that a person has diabetes, diabetes prevalence estimates using NDSS data do not include people with undiagnosed diabetes.
Map of the prevalence of diabetes in Australia using NDSS data
Page last reviewed: 12 April 2011
