Staff lift heart appraisals by nearly 13,000

A Compass Health campaign to get people to have heart assessments and get smoking cessation advice has had an "outstanding response", thanks to staff in Wairarapa.

The campaign resulted in an additional 12,768 people having a coded cardiovascular risk assessment, meaning an increase from 75 per cent to 80 per cent of eligible patients in Wairarapa receiving a risk assessment.

The percentage of smokers provided with advice to quit increased over the three-month campaign period from 38 per cent to 90 per cent in Wairarapa.

Lynn McBain, chairwoman of the Compass Health Clinical Quality Board, thanked all general practice staff for their outstanding efforts.

"This has been a team effort, involving nurses, GPs and administration staff all working together to get these risk assessments completed for the benefit of patients."

She said the objective of a risk assessment was to provide those with a higher risk with lifestyle advice or medication to lower the likelihood they will have a heart attack or stroke.

Cardiovascular risk assessments are recommended every five years for those in the target groups, and those that missed out during the campaign can still arrange a risk assessment by calling their usual general practice.