How was the "My Health" program created?

"My Health" will replace the "Prevention 40 Plus" program, and its creation is the result of cooperation between experts from the medical community, including members of the Zielonogórski Agreement, and representatives of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund.

Andrzej Zapaśnik - an expert of the Zielonogórski Agreement, head of the BaltiMed Clinic from Gdansk, is the creator of the assumptions of coordinated care in POZ (originally prepared for the POZ PLUS pilot), which he himself has been implementing for more than six years. When joining the pilot of POZ PLUS coordinated care in 2018, he further developed an original way of implementing health balances in adults, using a supporting IT program. This project became the inspiration for the "My Health" program.

- At my clinic, the patient begins by filling out a detailed questionnaire, usually on a computer at home, after receiving a dedicated link. He or she is then invited to the blood draw station and the Health Promotion office to take measurements such as weight, height, and blood pressure, as well as to enter relevant medical information, including lab results, cancer screenings and recommended vaccinations performed.

In the third stage, depending on the risk factors identified, the patient has a teleportation or an inpatient visit with a PCP. The process does not end with the diagnosis - depending on the identified risk factors, further health-promoting interventions are offered, such as diagnostic tests (e.g. spirometry or CT scan in smokers, oncology screening), recommended vaccinations and educational advice (nutritionist, psychologist, nurse). If necessary, the patient is referred for further care within the primary care or AOS, such as to a genetic clinic when a family history of cancer is suspected, or to a family hypercholesterolemia clinic.

Over the years, I have developed my own model for carrying out health balances of adult patients, based on the assumptions of comprehensive prevention developed in 2019 by experts of the Green Mountain Alliance for the pilot of coordinated care for small practices (POZ OK). To date, health balances have been conducted on more than 2,200 patients of our clinic. This model of comprehensive preventive care is appreciated by both patients and employees involved in its implementation," explains Andrzej Zapaśnik.

The assumptions and implementation of prevention in adult patients are reflected in the "My Health" program.

For the past several months, the Team for the Implementation of Coordinated Care in Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health, led by Prof. Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas and including Tomasz Zieliński, vice-president of the Zielonogórski Agreement, together with invited experts Andrzej Zapaśnik and Bartosz Pędziński from the Zielonogórski Agreement, have been working on the detailed provisions of the new program

- The "My Health" program is the next step in expanding preventive health care for adult patients in Poland. Its strength will be its universality and comprehensiveness - the patient not only receives a set of examinations, but also professional support from a doctor or nurse, which allows the results to be translated into real health measures. Thanks to the cooperation of POZ experts and representatives of the Ministry of Health, it was possible to create a program that has the potential to cover millions of people and significantly improve public health in our country," says Tomasz Zieliński, vice president of the Zielonogórski Agreement.

"My Health" covers the following preventive areas:

1. Cardiology - including assessing the presence of cardiovascular disease risk factors;
2. Oncology - such as qualifying for preventive screening (cytology, mammography, colonoscopy);
3. Infectious diseases - including eligibility for recommended vaccinations
4. Mental illnesses - initial screening for depressive syndromes.
5. Healthy lifestyle - including qualifying for anti-smoking intervention, reducing risky alcohol consumption and dietary intervention.
6. Others - including qualifying for further diagnosis for COPD, MAFLD and hepatitis.

The new program will cover patients aged 20 and over and will be more comprehensive than "Prevention 40 Plus." As part of the program, patients will complete a questionnaire and perform diagnostic tests. Basic tests will include blood count, glucose levels, lipidogram, creatinine and TSH. Expanded tests, depending on age and questionnaire results, may include liver tests, total PSA in men, anti-HCV antibodies and lipoprotein A. At the follow-up visit, patients will have their blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height, waist circumference and BMI measured. Those over 60 will have a cognitive function assessment.

The most important change is the introduction of a nurse or doctor's consultation, which was not included in the previous program. The patient will not be left alone with the results - the professional medical care of the PCP will provide their interpretation and establish an individual health plan. An element of it will be educational advice (from a doctor, nurse, nutritionist) financed under the "My Health" program.

The "Prophylaxis 40 Plus" program, which had been in operation since July 2021, was extended several times at the request of the Zielonogórski Agreement. According to the e-Health Center, nearly 5 million people benefited from it, and PZ Federation affiliates were, in addition to laboratories, among the leaders in the implementation of Prevention 40 PLUS, so they were able to share experience in planning the "My Health" program.

Source: Federation Zielonogórskie Porozumienie Zielonogórskie