Related Resources
-
A Chronic Disease Model of Care for Coronary Heart Disease and Depression
[11 May 06]
-
Collaborative Care – The Role of Practice Nurses
[1 Dec 09]
-
Implementing a suicide risk management plan in general practice: the central role of practice nurses
[24 Jun 10]
-
Integration and coordination of care
[1 Feb 09]
-
Patient experiences of the TrueBlue collaborative model of care for depression and chronic illness
[24 Jun 10]
-
Practice nurses as case managers in a collaborative-care model for managing depression in patients with heart disease or diabetes: The D_TECT and TrueBlue studies in primary care
[31 May 10]
-
The TrueBlue study: Is practice nurse-led collaborative care effective in the management of depression for patients with heart disease or diabetes?
[23 Jun 09]
-
TrueBlue: an intervention using a collaborative model of care in general practice for management of depression in patients with diabetes or coronary heart disease
[7 Dec 09]
-
TrueBlue: Practice nurses in collaborative care of diabetes, heart disease and co-morbid depression
[6 Jul 10]
TrueBlue (Chronic Disease Management of Co-morbid Depression, Heart Disease and Diabetes (National Project, Stage 2))
The TrueBlue project continued the development and evaluation of a system of primary care for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or type 2 diabetes and co-morbid depression. This project bulit on the successful work of the Depression_Treatment Evaluation Care Team (D_TECT) and Evidence-Based Best Practice Model Clinical Pathways for People with Co-Morbid Depression and Coronary Heart Disease projects.
The study is a randomised cluster design that compares the clinical outcomes between usual care and nurse-led collaborative care. Its pilot study D_TECT developed and tested the general practice-based model of chronic disease care for people with co-morbid depression, type 2 diabetes and/or chronic heart disease. Specifically, the TrueBlue study:
- Developed and tested a training program for general practitioners and practice nurses in the screening, assessment and management of depression in patients with type 2 diabetes and/or chronic heart disease.
- Tested the feasibility of practice nurses to screen, assess, collect data, refer, review and monitor patients with co-morbid depression, type 2 diabetes and/or chronic heart disease.
Eleven general practices - five treatment and six control in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales and in Adelaide (South Australia) - participated in the study. The study has completed its data-collection phase and the results are being prepared for publication. Anecdotal comments from the participating practice nurses suggest that TrueBlue has been well received by patients and nurses. Patients have noted, for example, "You get to talk to a practitioner a lot longer and in a much more relaxed atmosphere" or "If you write down goals and express them, it's much more beneficial". The study has also demonstrated a better adherence to best-practice guidelines for the management and monitoring of chronic heart disease and type 2 diabetes, including monitoring of depression.
TrueBlue is a collaborative project between beyondblue, the National Depression Initiative and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Grant Details
Funding Bodies: beyondblue, the National Depression Initiative & the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Chief Investigator: Professor James Dunbar (GGT UDRH, Flinders University & Deakin University)
Associate Investigators: Professor Prasuna Reddy (GGT UDRH, Flinders University & Deakin University) & Professor Richard Reed (Flinders University)
Total Funding: $530,000 ($465,000 from beyondblue, the National Depression Initiative & $65,000 from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing)