Pharma Managers Series – Chronic Disease

The Integrated Care Programme for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease (ICPCD) focuses on improving the standard of care for four major chronic diseases that affect over one million people in Ireland:

• cardiovascular disease
• type 2 diabetes
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• asthma

The ICPCD has developed a model of care for the Integrated Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease in Ireland, we’re delighted to be joined by two members of the Programme to discuss the ICPCD; the rollout of it’s framework, it’s impact on treating major chronic diseases and what the plans are for the future.   

Dr Sarah O’Brien, Group Lead for Chronic Disease will be joined by Prof Ken McDonald, Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for the National Heart Programme. 

Resources: 

The ICPCD have created some excellent documents regarding the integrated care and management of Chronic Disease.  You can download them below: 

• National Framework for the Integrated Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease
• 10-step guide to support local implementation 
• Integrated Model of Care for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease

Speakers: 

Dr Sarah O’Brien – SPHM, Office of National Clinical Advisor & Group Lead for Chronic Disease

Sarah graduated from University College Dublin School of Medicine before working in Emergency Medicine in both rural and urban Australia. Upon her return to Ireland, Sarah trained as a General Practitioner with the Trinity College Dublin-Health Service Executive School of General Practice.
Through her clinical experience working across a variety of urban, rural and disadvantaged settings, Sarah developed a keen interest in chronic disease management and health service improvement which spurred her on to undertake a Masters in Public Health Medicine and to complete Higher Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine.
Sarah has been working as part of the NCAGL for Chronic Disease team since 2019.

Prof Ken McDonald – Cardiologist & Clinical Lead: National Heart Programme 

Ken developed the St Vincent’s/ St Michael’s Heart Failure Unit following his return from his sub-speciality training in heart failure at the University of Minnesota, USA. He has overseen the growth of the Unit into an internationally recognised clinical service and translational heart failure research centre.

The Unit clinical programme provides specialist heart failure services to in excess of 5,000 patients across the spectrum of heart failure. In addition, Ken developed the St Vincent’s ‘Screening to Prevent Heart Failure (STOP-HF)’ Programme in association with St. Vincent’s Collaborative General Practice Group. The STOP-HF study is a first-of-type, pragmatic, prospective trial which showed that natriuretic peptide-based screening and collaborative care can reduce the combined rate of left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure as well as major adverse cardiac events. Initially a research project, this effort is now an established clinical service managing in excess of 3,000 patients.

With established links to the School of Medicine and Medical Science and the Conway Institute at University College Dublin, Ken’s research team has focused on the natural history of left ventricular dysfunction, biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and novel strategies in the delivery of health care in chronic disease.  The unit has close collaborative links with similarly focused units in the US and Europe. Ken is an ex-president of the Irish Cardiac Society, the Medical Director of the Heartbeat Trust and presently holds the position of the Clinical Lead for the National Heart Programme.

This event is proudly supported by: