In mid-July, the DaSH (Diabetes and Sensory Health) team completed the pilot of our long-awaited DaSH study – a multi-disciplinary project that aims to improve health services for people with eye, hearing, or foot problems, particularly if they also have diabetes.

Working alongside Toi Whānau Health in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga, the team delivered health checks and questionnaires with 25 patients over a five-day period. This gave the study team an opportunity to refine study methods before the main data collection phase begins in earnest in the coming months.

“Being able to get out into the community has been invaluable,” notes A/Prof Jacqueline Ramke, Co-Investigator of the DaSH study, “It was fantastic to work closely with Kelleigh and the Toi Whānau team to support their community in ways that work well for the practice and also for the participants. We learnt a lot and will refine our approach so the survey can run as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.”

Participants of the DaSH pilot study received several health checks including visual acuity screening and checks for diabetic retinopathy, hearing screening, foot neuropathy screening, and screening for diabetes or prediabetes using HbA1c testing. The team was supported by the Vision Bus Aotearoa so that on-the-spot follow-up eye examinations could be provided for participants who needed it.

Feedback from participants was universally positive, and many valued the convenience of receiving multiple health checks during a single appointment.

“Everyone was welcoming, respectful and warm towards me,” noted one study participant. “They were professional and I was well informed when I had questions. The tests were easy and quick and it was all over before I knew it.”

Toi Whānau Health Practice Manager Kelleigh Embers (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) said that when she was first approached about the study, she knew immediately that this was something her practice should be involved in as it filled a healthcare gap that exists within her community. She noted a key benefit of the study for GP practices is the contribution to the Diabetes Annual Review for whānau with diabetes, receiving their vision and foot screening checks under one roof.

She hopes that other GP practices will see similar benefits for their patients and the wider community.

“There are things that whānau might find through these health assessments that they haven’t been able to get themselves,” she said. “I think it will benefit the practice in terms of supporting whānau to re-engage with us, in areas they may have been avoiding because of barriers such as cost or access.”

With the pilot survey now behind us, the DaSH team is looking forward to rolling out the next phase of the study.

DaSH is a multi-disciplinary project that aims to improve health services for people with eye, hearing, or foot problems, particularly if they also have diabetes. Participants of the DaSH study will be screened for these health conditions and referred for follow-up services if required. From this, we can estimate the number of people living with these conditions and how accessible services are. Find out more about the study…