In a talk to public health leaders in Wales, a leading Australian academic has called for a rethink on supporting people with chronic diseases.

Professor Richard Osborne, the Chair of Public Heath and Director of Public Health Innovation at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, said there was a need to design chronic disease programmes around real people’s needs and problems.

 

He said, “Not much is working at the moment in terms of helping people with chronic diseases lead improved lives and get back to work.

 

“Research shows that, too often, programmes have been developed without really talking to patients, understanding their needs and finding out what would work.”

 

Professor Osborne also said there is a need to address the health literacy of patients more systematically.

 

“Health literacy is more than the understanding of your health. Some people cannot read and write and that is clearly a huge barrier. However, people also need to understand how to access and use the health service. People are often confused and scared by the system. The system needs to be proactive in helping people to find and use it.”

 

Professor Osborne was a guest of Professor Mansel Aylward, chair of Public Health Wales. The two met at Harvard University in the USA where Professor Aylward lectures.

 

Professor Aylward said, “We have a similar approach to biomedical research where we work across the disciplines. There is a need for an approach to the management of people with chronic diseases in the workplace which involves engaging in self-care, improved self-monitoring, interactions with healthcare professionals and coping with the chronic condition itself. To be maximally effective management must be anchored at the level of the patient. Richard Osborne’s work supports this approach very convincingly.”