> What is One Heart Many Lives?
> What are the aims and objectives?
> Outcomes of the One Heart Many Lives programme
> How the One Heart Many Lives programme can work in your area.
What is One Heart Many Lives?
Cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke) is the number one cause of death in New Zealand and a Government health priority.
One Heart Many Lives is a cardiovascular disease primary prevention
programme, which targets Maori and Pacific Island men aged 35+.
It aims to raise both awareness of heart disease and what causes it
and decrease the level of cardiovascular risk among men aged over 35.
It was established as a result of research identifying marked variation
in the prescribing of statins. Over the past two years activities have
been focused in two key regions, Hawke's Bay and Northland where Maori
and Pacific Island men die 14 years earlier than their European
counterparts.
Local heroes
New and different channels have been employed to promote the risk of heart disease. Local heroes have championed the need to get hearts checked. They influence other men to do what they have done. Bro' files in Northland and Tamati's story in Hawke's Bay motivate men to get their hearts checked and do something about it if the results are not good. TXT messaging, messages via TV into GP practices, local community activities, specific pharmacy and point of sale activity, advertising and media have helped to keep awareness high.
Community level approach
The campaign takes a community-level approach with initiatives driven through local providers around a common One Heart Many Lives theme. Effective working between allied health organisations, community health providers and individuals and their whanau have progressed the campaign beyond the initial pilot's activities and outcomes. Enthusiastic local project teams who understand their community, actively promote a consistent message to 'Get your heart checked' in work places and practices help to motivate and sustain the programme.
Tools to help manage the health of the men identified as having high risk of heart disease have helped to focus local infrastructure IT set up, education and training of the workforce and creation of effective patient tools.
Key outcomes of this campaign include an increase in statin use and Green Rx prescribing. An increase CVD risk screenings and smoking cessation programme subscription are other indicators which are monitored.
What are the aims and objectives?
The aim of the One Heart Many Lives project is to:
1. Increase awareness within the New Zealand population of cardiovascular
risk and how that risk can be reduced;
2. Target Maori and Pacific men over 35 years;
3. Promote increased consultation, by people with high cardiovascular
risk, with a medical professional; and
4. Promote healthy lifestyle as part of managing overall health care.
Outcomes of the One Heart Many Lives programme
1. Increase the use of statins among those people with high risk of heart disease , particularly Maori and Pacific Island men.
2. Keep awareness high in the community about the need to get your heart checked.
3. Increase the uptake of Green Prescriptions and other lifestyle changing practices.
What are the key messages?
The messages of the campaign are relatively simple and in line with many other health initiatives:
· Get your heart checked
· Get more active
· Eat better
The difficulty is getting these messages through to those at high risk of Cardiovascular disease and in particular Maori and Pacific men aged over 35 years. That's why we use social marketing to help us reach these men and their whanau while also enhancing the health services on offer.
What is social marketing?
One Heart Many Lives is a proven social marketing strategy. Social marketing is a developing tool, utilised primarily to encourage behaviour change which is positive for individuals and their communities. Social marketing encompasses many concepts including:
- promoting behaviour change
- using value based messages
- building a consumer orientation to services
- applying a planned approach to behaviour change
- encouraging social movement and change
- utilising commercial marketing techniques to achieve social change
One Heart Many Lives leverages these principles. Its success stems from connection to community. Both at a professional and patient level it works to underline the effect one heart has on the lives of many. One Heart Many Lives showcases typical individuals who are on the path to wellness -their journey through self awareness, commitment to change, struggles and successes.
At a professional level its about connection to the market, understanding needs and leading behavioural change.
How the One Heart Many Lives programme can work in your area.
So far One Heart Many Lives is underway in Hawke's Bay and Northland DHB's and Western BOP PHO, with OHML projects in Porirua, Waitemata DHB and Rotorua. The PHARMAC One Heart Many Lives team has worked alongside the DHBs, PHOs and Maori Health Providers to develop local solutions under the One Heart Many Lives campaign umbrella.
The campaign tools developed provide a step by step blueprint for campaign implementation and management. The blueprint is offered as a planning resource along with practice and patient resources.
How Pharmac can help
Make One Heart Many Lives come to life in your practice and in your
community.
Register for patient and practice resources that support the campaign
messages
Getting the campaign off the ground
• Workshop overview – Getting the most for your Patients – Cardiovascular
and Diabetes capability assessment – Workshop outcomes will be placed
here following the workshop on March 13th and 14th 2008.
• OHML Branded patient resources
Bringing patients in
• DVDs (waiting room resources)
– The importance of getting your heart checked – DVD
– Tamati’s Story – DVD
– The role of the Father – DVD
