Task Shifting for Cardiovascular Disease Management: What Can Ee Learn from other Models?

Abstract

In the context of an aging population combined with increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden there is a need for increasing access to prevention and health management. Ideally, primary healthcare physicians are the first point of contact and the main providers of healthcare for individuals with CVD. However, in low and middle-income countries, very few doctors are available and physician workforce disparities for rural and remote regions are substantial. Task shifting may provide a new and exciting opportunity for increasing access to CVD health management. Task shifting involves the rational redistribution of tasks among health workforce teams. For a task shifting model of care to function optimally several changes need to be made at the health policy and health systems level including integration of non-physician healthcare workers as part of a multi-disciplinary team with support from physicians, and consultation with regulatory bodies such as the medical and nursing councils. With such systems in place there are significant opportunities for major improvements in healthcare quality and outcomes for CVD management.