Case-finding in the community: the results 2

Improving the health and well-being of the population is at the centre of policy development, and the vision is to involve individuals, families and communities. The Case-finding in the Community Project was designed to build upon the established relationship between district nursing and the local community of East Belfast, working together to improve the health of adults in the community using a case-finding approach. The aims were to improve the early detection of long-term conditions, to increase access to primary care and the specialist nursing services, and to further develop the working partnership with East Belfast Community Health Information Project. Between September 2006 and March 2007, 351 people attended 17 health fairs in East Belfast at a range of venues. There were 115 people with identified risk factors for respiratory, cardiac, diabetes and hypertension. From the results of this project, there is a need for 'case-finding' patients with the potential to develop chronic disease management.