Media Release

Friday, 16 November 2001

A new program to help GPs and patients better manage hypertension has resulted in a national communications award for Adelaide University's Department of General Practice.

The General Practice Department and its partner Foundation Studios will receive a 2001 Serif Award - Australia's leading national awards from the communications industry.

The annual awards are presented by the Australian Institute of Communicators and the Society of Business Communicators Australia, and recognise excellence in innovation for professional communication activities.

This year the awards will be held in Adelaide at the new National Wine Centre at 7pm on Friday, November 16.

General Practice and Foundation Studios worked jointly on a project called ADAGE, which provides a new approach to GPs and patients dealing with hypertension.

Chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major public health problem that affects up to 30% of people in Western nations. Around 44% of men and 52% of women aged between 65-69 years have high blood pressure.

The ADAGE program encourages patients to take charge of their own health, and provides support for both doctors and patients. It also reinforces the need for a more systematic and managed approach to the use of medication and lifestyle changes in order to better help patients and to save costs.

ADAGE, developed with funding and support from four pharmaceutical companies - Astrazeneca, Aventis, Bayer and Pfizer - provides information to GPs and patients via the internet and on CD-ROM. It also provides information for other practitioners, such as nurses and dietitians.

"The project has developed a Disease Management Program for hypertension with a sound theoretical foundation and based on best practice," says Dr Justin Beilby, Head of the Department of General Practice.

"Such a program can only improve the quality of health care provided to patients, and helps to raise their awareness of their own health."

Dr Deborah Turnbull, senior lecturer in General Practice and co chief investigator of the project, says: "We are very pleased to be honoured with the Serif award. It is strong recognition from the commercial arena for work that we have done with industry. It also highlights how research and clinical expertise in our department can be applied to the medical profession and the wider community to produce benefits for all."