The highest standards of diabetes management

There are over 2.3 million* people with diabetes in the UK. And they’re just the ones who’ve been diagnosed. It’s believed that up to 750,000* more people are diabetic but don’t know it.

Consider the impact on your Primary Care Trust (PCT) – first: bi-annual HbA1c testing is required for all patients. Customarily this necessitates two appointments each time: one for a blood test, and a second, up to three weeks later, to review the results and adjust treatment as necessary. So that’s four appointments per year, per patient plus any follow on care sessions. Then there is the management and treatment of patients suffering from diabetes related complications.

 

Given the volumes of patients involved, the catalogue of potential complications, and the escalation of symptoms, the management and treatment of diabetes is a complex part of any PCTs responsibilities.

 

For nursing staff, the proper management of diabetes can be particularly time consuming. It’s not simply a case of conducting HbA1c tests and regulating medication appropriately, but of working with patients in ensuring they adopt the right lifestyle choices. This may be time consuming – but it’s an important part of every PCT’s responsibility to encourage healthy habits among their patient base.

*Source: Diabetes UK

 

 

A swifter response

Axis-Shield has developed a convenient, near patient system – the Afinion Analyser System – that enables healthcare professionals to conduct HbA1c tests at the patient’s local surgery and obtain immediate results. This removes the need for a second appointment and enables the practitioner to make any required changes to the patient’s medication.

 

In addition to cutting required appointments by half, the Afinion Analyser works quickly – test results that would have been delivered in up to three weeks are now delivered within two or three minutes – this helps to prevent escalation of other symptoms straightaway. And it gives more weight to any recommendations made – patients are more receptive to instant results.

 

Axis-Shield will help you extend the highest levels of care to your diabetes patients.

 

Just call us on 01480 862100 or email your enquiry to Diabetes@axis-shielduk.com.

 

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