An Auckland regional audit of the nurse-led rheumatic fever secondary prophylaxis programme.
BACKGROUND
Rheumatic fever with ensuing rheumatic heart disease is considered to be a preventable chronic disease.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the compliance rates with the rheumatic fever secondary prophylaxis programme established through the Auckland Rheumatic Fever Register and managed by community nursing services in Auckland, New Zealand.


METHODS
An audit of the 1998 and 2000 Auckland Rheumatic Fever Register data was undertaken to establish the compliance rates of patients with the rheumatic fever secondary prophylaxis programme. The sample included all patients on the Auckland Rheumatic Fever Register during this time.


RESULTS
Results showed compliance rates across the three Auckland DHBs ranging from 79.9% to 100% for individual community nursing offices.


CONCLUSIONS
A community-based nurse-led secondary prophylaxis programme for Rheumatic Fever heart disease is able to deliver excellent patient compliance levels. Secondary prophylaxis is the WHO-recommended cost effective first step to Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease control. Community health workers have a key role to play in facilitating this compliance.
Grayson
Sarah
S
Starship Hospital, Auckland District Health Board.
Horsburgh
Margaret
M
Lennon
Diana
D
D002648:Child; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000191:economics; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009520:New Zealand; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control*