Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

Chronic disease can encompass many different illnesses and conditions that often coexist and share common risk factors, with many people having more than one chronic condition at the same time.

At Pakenham Family Health we have a team of qualified GPs trained in chronic disease management, who are integrating prevention and care, and treating selected chronic diseases together, in order to keep our patients healthy for as long as possible. Many of these diseases arise from similar underlying causes, have similar features, and share a number of prevention, management and treatment strategies.

Our GPs and nurses can explain, advise and help you understand and manage the common behaviour risk factors for chronic disease, including smoking, physical activity, nutrition and harmful use of alcohol. Other different health risk factors can also lead to chronic illness, such as genetic predisposition, environmental exposure, occupational risk factors and aging.

Chronic diseases have become increasingly common in Australia with changing lifestyles and ageing population the leading cause of illness, disability and death, and as such, they have a major impact on health and welfare services.  Because of its personal, social and economic impact, tackling chronic disease and its causes is the biggest health challenge that Australia faces today.

Chronic disease is often discussed in terms of 4 major disease groups, that between them account for three quarters of all chronic disease deaths:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Cancers
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Diabetes