New take on acute coronary syndromes at heart of May 11th broadcast
April 27, 2010A new Rural Health Education Foundation television program airing on Tuesday May 11th discusses the barriers to achieving better outcomes for people with heart attack, and what can be done to overcome them.
Finger on the Pulse: Acute Coronary Syndromes discusses the treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), including the entire spectrum of care from the initial onset of symptoms, hospitalisation, rehabilitation and returning to work, to compliance with ongoing medication.
In light of a recent report which found that higher rates of supply of cardiovascular disease (CVD) medicines in regional areas reflect the fact that cardiovascular health is poorer outside major cities, the new hour-long program also discusses the treatment of ACS in rural and remote areas, as well as Indigenous populations.
ACS becoming a key Australian health priority
“With the number of people hospitalised with heart attack or chest pain potentially doubling by the year 2030 - due to an ageing population eating more and exercising less - ACS is fast becoming a key Australian health priority,” says Rural Health Education Foundation CEO Don Perlgut. “And what makes the launch of our new program on ACS even more timely is the recent release of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s analysis which found higher usage of CVD medicines in regional areas.”
“Due to the severity and speed of the onset of ACS symptoms, an efficient and effective treatment path is vital in reducing total deaths and preventing future cases of ACS,” Mr Perlgut says. “This new program discusses the significant gaps in treatment that presently exist, and helps health practitioners to develop plans for patients which cover the entire spectrum of ACS care from initial detection to rehabilitation.”
Presented by an expert panel
The program format is a panel discussion chaired by Dr Norman Swan, Presenter of the Health Report on ABC Radio National.
The panel of medical practitioners features Professor Derek Chew, a Cardiologist and the Roy and Marjory Edwards Heart Foundation Senior Principal Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at Flinders University in Adelaide, SA; Ms Suzanne Colby, a Nurse Unit Manager in the Emergency Department at West Gippsland Healthcare Group, VIC; Mr Barry Fewquandie, an Aboriginal Health Worker and Co-ordinator of the Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program at Wuchopperen Health Service, Cairns, QLD; and Dr Peter Joyner, a General Practitioner from Mannum, SA, and Deputy Chairman of the SA Cardiology Network.
Program funding
Finger on the Pulse: Acute Coronary Syndromes is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Broadcast details
Finger on the Pulse: Acute Coronary Syndromes will be broadcast across the Rural Health Education Foundation’s satellite television network on Tuesday May 11th at 8.00pm (AEST), with repeats at 8.00pm Perth time that same evening (three hours later) and 12.30pm on Friday May 14th.
Also available on DVD and via web-streaming
DVD copies of this program will be available after the broadcast via our website. The program will also be available free on the Internet for viewing via web-streamed video or listening via an audio podcast.
About acute coronary syndromes
In 2009 it was estimated that there will be nearly 90,000 heart attack and chest pain related hospitalisations in Australia, consisting of first time and repeat events. Just under 10,000 Australians were expected to die from heart attack, the majority before they reach the hospital. Together, heart attack and unstable angina will have cost the community an estimated $17.9bn, of which $1.8bn will be in direct health care costs.
The symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) are hard to detect, and onset is often sudden.
There are a number of barriers to achieving better outcomes for people with heart attack and unstable angina, including: late presentation at hospital; gaps in the effective management of patients in hospitals; patients discharged without appropriate medications; low uptake of cardiac rehabilitation and on-going management programs; and lack of publicly reported ACS data and quality/performance indicators.
More information
For more information about the Finger on the Pulse program - including presenter details, access instructions and associated educational resources - go to the online program summary, or contact the Foundation.