Revealed: the awareness campaigns that risk distorting clinical priorities

Spotted on twitter exposes the links to big pharma 

Elisabeth Mahase investigates how charities, pharma and public health bodies risk driving the worried well to their GPs

Last month, health secretary Matt Hancock posted an online video of himself wearing a tracksuit, looking as though he had been interrupted mid-jog, to launch Public Health England’s ‘terrific’ new Heart Age campaign.

The campaign calls for all over-30s to take an online test to find out their heart age and risk of a heart attack or stroke.

But it also urges anyone who doesn’t know their blood pressure or cholesterol level to see their GP, nurse or pharmacist and – in red capital letters – ‘GET TESTED’.

Those who don’t know their cholesterol level, it explains, could need medication, adding that very high cholesterol may be a sign of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), and they should discuss this with their clinician.

The test received favourable headlines in the wider media, so it was left to GPs to point out that most 30-year-olds don’t necessarily need to know their blood pressure or cholesterol levels and certainly shouldn’t bother their GP with it.

This, of course, is not the first campaign to urge patients to see their GPs. Government initiatives and charity ‘awareness’ drives often encourage the worried well to get checked out.

But these ‘see your GP’ initiatives can have negative consequences for patients if they are not endorsed by the National Screening Committee – which assesses the effect of screening programmes on the nation’s health as a whole.

More here: http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-practice-life-news/revealed-how-awareness-campaigns-risk-distorting-clinical-priorities/20037552.article

Can have negative consequences for the already overworked doctors too, let alone the patients who are actually ill.

On the other hand testing insulin would probably not be such a bad idea. So would be prescribing test strips to Type 2s and increasing the roll-out of CGMs. Not so likely though as finding new markets for statins and PCSK9s.

chris c wrote:Can have negative consequences for the already overworked doctors too, let alone the patients who are actually ill.

On the other hand testing insulin would probably not be such a bad idea. So would be prescribing test strips to Type 2s and increasing the roll-out of CGMs. Not so likely though as finding new markets for statins and PCSK9s.

Agreed testing insulin is one way that could have a cost effective outcome 

Type-2 diabetes signs 'detectable years before diagnosis'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45747042

On The BBC??? Astonishing.

Gotta go, I have a whole bunch of downloaded papers to read. Plus the herring is starting to wear off after six hours, I think I will chase it with some salmon.

graham64 wrote:

chris c wrote:Can have negative consequences for the already overworked doctors too, let alone the patients who are actually ill.

On the other hand testing insulin would probably not be such a bad idea. So would be prescribing test strips to Type 2s and increasing the roll-out of CGMs. Not so likely though as finding new markets for statins and PCSK9s.

Agreed testing insulin is one way that could have a cost effective outcome 

Type-2 diabetes signs 'detectable years before diagnosis'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45747042

No good testing Graham if you don't have the foggiest idea how to deal with it.
I despare of the tripe dished out by PHE.
Regards
Derek

Long birder wrote:

graham64 wrote:

chris c wrote:Can have negative consequences for the already overworked doctors too, let alone the patients who are actually ill.

On the other hand testing insulin would probably not be such a bad idea. So would be prescribing test strips to Type 2s and increasing the roll-out of CGMs. Not so likely though as finding new markets for statins and PCSK9s.

Agreed testing insulin is one way that could have a cost effective outcome 

Type-2 diabetes signs 'detectable years before diagnosis'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45747042

No good testing Graham if you don't have the foggiest idea how to deal with it.
I despare of the tripe dished out by PHE.
Regards
Derek

True Derek though perhaps they will advise using the eatwell guide and hasten the progression to full blown T2 

Long birder wrote:
No good testing Graham if you don't have the foggiest idea how to deal with it.
I despare of the tripe dished out by PHE.
Regards
Derek

Oh you mustn't eat tripe. It's animals you know.