Men at Work

 

Men at Work’; an industry based CVD risk assessment project (Manaia PHO - Mary Carthew, Associate Director of Nursing)

Start date & duration:

June 2009.  The programme is ongoing.

What is the programme trying to achieve:

Identifying men at risk of developing CVD by offering targeted CVD risk assessments in industry sites with high populations of Maori men.

Who are the target population for this programme or service:

Maori and Pacific Island men over 35yrs.

What is the geographical coverage for this programme or service:

All employees of industries (where management have agreed to be part of the Men at Work programme) which are male dominant and have a high population of Maori and Pacific Islander employees within the Whangarei area.

Who can access it:

See above.

How did the programme come about:

The Men at Work project followed a previous pilot (2007/2008) which showed men were not attending general practice for CVD screening because they were at work. At the time there were no after hours GP facilities offering CVD risk assessments.

What approach is used for the service delivery:

Industry sites with high numbers of Maori and Pacific Islander employees are prioritised and their existing Occupational Health Nurses provide the screening. Early morning CVD screening sessions are offered on-site, fasting bloods done and this is followed by a healthy breakfast (along with health promotion messages) before the men start work. All men with >15% CV risk are given a voucher for a free GP visit following the screen and are enrolled onto CarePlus for their ongoing management.

What are the successes to date with the delivery of the service:

High success rate – popular with industry management and good up-take by the men.  On average 10% identified with >15% CV risk.  Men are offered management through CarePlus, either with their GP or on-site in some industries.

What are the measures of success for this programme:

Number of men who utilise the free GP voucher following their screen. Number who attend CarePlus for their management. Evaluation following the screening indicates raised awareness of CVD and prevention

Has any evaluation of the service been undertaken?  If so, when and what was the outcome:

The first year of the Men at Work was evaluated.  Total CV assessed: 295 Maori 36.6%, Pacific Islanders 2%.  CV risk > 15% = 9.8%.  Employee narrative evaluations mostly positive.

Who are the funders of this programme:

2007/2008 CVD project, SIA 2009, Ministry of Health ‘Men’s Health Innovation Fund’ 2009 – 2010 on-going funding through CarePlus programme.