The NHIA has been promoting the Diabetes Integrated Care Programme for years.  This programme has successfully reduced the mortality rate and prevented cardiovascular-related complications.

Experts suggest that the NHIA should push the participation rate of this programme to 60% by 2025 for the benefit of the patients as well as for the NHI finance.

The Diabetes Integrated Care Programme was launched in 2001.  After two decades, the programme has now included 58.3% of the diabetic patients.  The data show that the participants have their glycated hemoglobin, fundus of eyes and microalbumin tested more often, have better results of glycated hemoglobin and low-density cholesterol, and are less likely to receive the dialysis treatments.   Only 0.2% of the participants require the dialysis treatment, while it is 10.4% for non-participants.   These results indicate that the Integrated Care Programme is effective in reducing the risks of complications.

The experts also suggest providing training for more healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, nutritionists, health educators, etc. so as to create a healthcare network rather than to just rely on doctors.

Prof Hsu Chih-Cheng, the Director of the National Health Research Institutes Forum, pointed out that, for the participants, the mortality rate has been reduced by 22%, the incidence of cardiovascular problems by 14% and the incidence of stroke by 16%.  The results are very encouraging.

Prof Huang Chien-Ning, the President of the Diabetes Association, suggests increasing the participation rate to over 60% by 2025.   Dr Chang Bih-Jeng, the Secretary General of the Taiwan Medical Association, pointed out that it is important to establish a robust system in order to increase the participation rate.

Speaking on behalf of the doctors in the primary care sector, Dr Chang mentioned that doctors have concerns when prescribing certain diabetic drugs, for example, the SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP1-RA and innovative insulin injections, because the reimbursement claims are quite often rejected by the NHIA.  Doctors should be able to prescribe drugs as required, said Dr Chang.

【2021-10-26 /  United Daily】