STOPHFnet will create a virtual community of practice which will utilize the results of research from our HRB funded Natural History of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy grant to allow rapid dissemination to general practitioners in the community. This is particularly timely as diabetes will for the first time be nationally managed by GPs under the new contract. It will enable the standardisation and integration of the delivery of care to patients with diabetes and in particular heart failure prevention in diabetes, ensuring that it was evidence based. It also aimed to create the infrastructure for further clinical trials to obtain further evidence on best management. STOPHFNet will establish regional networks of selected and highly motivated health care professionals. It will involve the creation and dissemination of evidence based guidelines based on the results of this study, weekly webconferences to discuss recent research findings and individual patient management (virtual consults) as well as clinical trial results and further studies. It will involve;
Informative website (www.stophfnet.org)
Education website highlighting results from latest research
Web based communities for patients and professionals Telehealth solutions, including video consultations in a safe environment
And also involve a study day for the Midlands Diabetes Group GPs to introduce them to this network
STOP-HFnet will also provide online content to the public. We will also use the next work to involve the public and patients through information sessions -2xMidlands and 2xDublin to introduce STOP-HF patients to the STOP-HF concept and to general measures necessay to prevent cardiovascular disease.
