| Recommendation | NSIF | Linked Strategies or Reform Initiatives | Accountable Bodies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Recommendations | ||||
| F1 | Use the National Health and Medical Research Council (National Institute of Clinical Studies) to manage the development and review of new and existing national clinical practice guidelines for CVD. | All components | Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) | |
| F2 | Work strategically with the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) within NHMRC to improve uptake of nationally standardised clinical guidelines across general practice, acute and community care. | All components | e-Health | Australian Government NHMRC/NICS NEHTA Jurisdictions Health Services Professional & Peak bodies |
| F3 | Support the work of the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) to validate its draft Operating Principles and Technical Standards for Australian Clinical Quality Registries. | All components | National Primary Health Care Strategy National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Australian Government ACSQHC Jurisdictions Professional bodies Private health insurers |
| F4 | Develop an implementation plan for general practice to support the implementation of Absolute Risk Assessments (ARA) to identify people at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease and then address their risk factors through a program involving on-going management. | Reduce Risk Early detection, care and support of people with heart, stroke and vascular disease. | National Primary Health Care Strategy National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Australian Government GP Peak bodies and related organisations |
| F5 | Hospitals to be required to undertake and report on the results of audits of CVD services, in particular heart attack and stroke, in both acute clinical care and post-acute care so that each is occurring once every two years. | All components | Review of accreditation processes through the ACSQHC | Jurisdictions Private health insurers Private Hospitals Hospital accreditation bodies |
| F6 | Investigate the benefits of including CVD risk factors in a national health survey and investigate the benefits and costs of including biomedical risk assessments such as blood and urine collection and analysis. | All components | National Preventative Health Taskforce | Australian Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| F7 | Include specific CVD indicators, including ARA, in datasets for national and jurisdictional performance accountability frameworks. | Reduce Risk | National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Australian Government Jurisdictions |
| Group 1 Primary Prevention | ||||
| 1.1 | Develop a government/industry/NGO partnership to achieve population wide reductions in saturated fat and dietary salt intake in the Australian context. | Reduce Risk | National Primary Health Care Strategy National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission National Preventative Health Taskforce | Australian Government NGO’s Australian Food and Grocery Council |
| 1.2 | Support the work of the National Preventative Health Taskforce in developing national policy and strategy to improve nutrition and reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption, with a focus on reducing lifestyle related risks in socially and economically disadvantaged populations. | Reduce Risk | National Preventative Health Taskforce | Australian Government Jurisdictions |
| Group 2 Addressing Indigenous health and socio-economic disadvantage | ||||
| 2.1 | Implement culturally oriented and effective CVD rehabilitation within Indigenous communities, within mainstream and Aboriginal specific health services. | Best long term care and support | National Primary Health Care Strategy COAG National Indigenous Reform Agenda | Australian Government Jurisdictions Aboriginal health peak bodies |
| 2.2 | Support the implementation within jurisdictions of national strategies and guidelines to address low intervention rates for Indigenous people presenting to hospital with heart disease and stroke. | Best care and support for acute episodes | National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Jurisdictions Aboriginal health peak bodies |
| 2.3 | Develop specific strategies to address poorer outcomes and lower intervention rates for people with higher levels of social and economic disadvantage. | Early detection, care and support of people with heart, stroke and vascular disease. Best care and support for acute episode Best long term care and support | National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Australian Government Jurisdictions |
| Group 3 Primary Health Care & Community Support | ||||
| 3.1 | Test a range of linked strategies to improve the management of patients with cardiovascular disease, involving all health sectors (General Practice, public health services, NGO’s, other private providers) within identified communities. | Early detection, care and support of people with heart, stroke and vascular disease. Best care and support for acute episodes Best long term care and support | National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission National Primary Health Care Strategy | Australian Government Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Jurisdictions Private Health Insurers |
| Group 4 Acute Care | ||||
| 4.1 | Establish comprehensive stroke services covering acute, post-acute and rehabilitation care at every hospital admitting more than 200 acute stroke patients per year and in relevant smaller hospitals and strengthen networked access to Stroke Care Units for rural hospitals. | Best care and support for acute episodes | Jurisdictions Hospital Accreditation Bodies | |
| 4.2 | Support public education campaigns to help people recognise the warning signs of CVD and seek emergency treatment. | Early detection, care and support of people with heart, stroke and vascular disease. | Australian Government Jurisdictions NGO’s | |
| Group 5 Community Awareness of Risk | ||||
| 5.1 | Support an adequately resourced education campaign to increase awareness of high blood pressure and the importance of Absolute Risk Assessment (ARA) in the community and encourage people to seek ARA from their GP. | Reduce Risk | National Preventative Health Taskforce | Australian Government NGO’s |
| Group 6 End of Life Care | ||||
| 6.1 | Use standards defined under the National Palliative Care Strategy to review existing palliative care services in order to assess and improve their capacity to provide appropriate care and timely access to those with end stage CVD | Best care in the advanced stages | National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission | Jurisdictions |
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