Patients will benefit from nursing support and services from physiotherapists, dietitians and optometrists in an expanded Hong Kong pilot scheme that aims to provide early detection of diabetes and hypertension.
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The Health Bureau said on Monday that more than 40 locations had been added to the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme to provide services offered by nurses and allied health professionals from the private market.
The bureau said the move would offer “a broader scope of healthcare services with better coherence” to participants of the scheme, which launched in 2023.
Patients must pay for the services, with costs of HK$80 (US$10) per visit to nurse clinics, HK$150 for optometrists and physiotherapists, and HK$380 for dietitians.
Previously, the scheme only provided screening, consultations with doctors, blood tests and drug prescriptions as part of efforts to detect and manage diabetes and hypertension, which are common chronic diseases in Hong Kong.
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Now patients taking part in the pilot scheme will be able to visit nurses to be assessed for diabetic foot, a common condition for those with diabetes. Patients will also receive care for the condition or learn about prevention.
Nurses will draft personalised plans to help residents pursue healthy lives and change their diets.