1. Health
Wellbeingand
Outcomes Report 2013 - 2014
Healthy Lifestyle Programs
1. Positive Change
2. Your Path Our Path – Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander culturally
tailored version
Health and Wellbeing Group Programs
Greater Metro South Brisbane Medicare Local (GMSBML) offers five free health and wellbeing
group programs for patients in the community across the Greater Metro South Brisbane region.
There are three Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs and two Healthy Lifestyle Programs
available.
Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs
1. Better Health for Life (BHFL)
2. Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP)
3. Pain Self-Management Program (PSMP)

2. Above: Pain Self-Management Program,
November 2014, Wynnum.
GMSBML’s chronic disease group programs are developed by the Stanford Patient Education Research Center, part of
the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA. Whilst participating in the
group programs, participants receive 6–10 weeks of support for behaviour change, in addition to being connected with
other services available in the local community. GMSBML’s healthy lifestyle programs have been adapted from Lighten
Up and Living Strong programs developed by Queensland Health.
Testimonials
• I have found your program to be life changing and
I’m feeling great within myself. Thank you.
• I have been able to look at my problems with a
different view. I did not realise how much I could
do to help myself until I was shown.
Background
Right: Daphne Hartland, past participant of CDSMP
(Chronic Disease Self-Management Program)
celebrates her 100th birthday, proving a healthy
lifestyle and self-management works.
GMSBML Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2013–2014 2
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All of the programs are designed to help people gain self-confidence
in their ability to control their symptoms, better manage their health
problems and lead fuller lives.

3. Health of Queenslanders
Recent statistics in Queensland showed that in 2011 –
2012 non-communicable diseases accounted for 83% of
hospitalisations with an estimated cost of $12,645 million
(State of Queensland, Queensland Health, 2014).
By teaching people to better self-manage their condition/s
and lead a healthier lifestyle this will help to lessen the
burden on the hospital system with preventable hospital
admissions.
The health of Queenslanders 2014 report also highlighted
that two in three adults in Queensland are either overweight
or obese (Queensland Health 2014).
Offering Healthy Lifestyle Programs in the community aims
to educate people to maintain a healthy weight, follow the
Australian Physical Activity Guidelines and manage obstacles
that prevent us from reaching our goals. If this is achievable,
participants may find that they can prevent or delay the
onset of chronic diseases.
A full report is available at
www.health.qld.gov.au/publications/research-
reports/reports/cho-report/cho-full-report.pdf
GMSBML Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2013–2014
Our activity
Other conditions included – Heart disease, mental health, asthma, COPD, kidney disease and cancer.
3
80%
completion rate
Geographical locations covered:
Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Browns Plains,
Capalaba, Carindale, Cleveland, Jimboomba,
Logan Central, Loganholme, Macleay Island
and Wynnum
delivered to
352 participants
Health
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The most prevalent conditions identified by our
participants included;
24% diabetes
19% arthritis
17% pain
36 programs

4. Testimonials from our Chronic Disease Self-Management programs
• After completion of the program I have more confidence in myself and my ability. I have
learnt to accept my condition and that I can do something about it!
• I was sort of in denial when I first started and couldn’t understand why my blood sugar level
was always so high. You taught me a whole new way of living.
• I found it extremely informative. The staff were excellent. I felt that not only were they
friendly but very good. I have learnt a lot from them.
• I have had type 1 diabetes for over 60 years and your talk on healthy eating has achieved
wonders as I now eat vegetables and have cut down on my meat intake which dietitians have
never been able to convince me of doing.
Chronic Disease Self-Management
Programs
Participants (169) that completed the chronic disease group programs were asked to complete a short survey during
their first session and their last session to monitor improvements. There have been great results, showing reduced pain
experienced and their condition having a reduced impact on their social activities.
GMSBML Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2013–2014 4
In general would you say your health is: Please describe your pain in the past two weeks.
Please describe how much of an impact your
condition has on your social activities:
During the past week, or even if it was not a typical
week for you, how much total time (for the entire
week) did you spend exercising?
increase self-reported health status to GOOD
increase in the amount of people exercising for three hours or more per week upon completion of
the programs.
improvement in the amount of sedentary people now engaging in some form of physical activity
since attending a program. This group of people is often the most difficult to engage and the most
important as evidence suggests those who are sedentary and have now decided to become more
physically active have a greater rate of risk reduction.
decrease in the amount of people
experiencing significant pain
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10%
13%
6% 8%

5. Positive Change
Participants are asked to complete a short survey during their first and
last session to monitor improvements. There have been great results,
showing positive changes in their lifestyle and eating habits.
Over the six Positive Change programs delivered between July 2013 and
December 2014, 40 people completed the program, with a total of;
Your Path Our Path
The Your Path Our Path program is a
combination of self-management and
healthy lifestyle principles delivered
over a 10 week flexible timetable.
Information is delivered in a yarning
type environment encouraging
participants to share their story,
experiences and issues faced along
their journey.
Testimonial
Most of this stuff we talk about, I have
already heard many times before. But
explaining it more and relating it back
to the way we live, and giving me the
choice on how to best self manage,
gives me power to look after myself
and family.
Testimonials
• I enjoyed being part of a group who were supportive of each other to start on the road of making changes.
• I have found this course to be helpful to me in several ways – it has encouraged and motivated me to be more
positive in my general outlook on life, it has helped me to re-look at my daily routine and eating habits and exercise,
it has helped me with motivation and positive thinking.
• The information has been very good and each week I have gained something or learned something new.
GMSBML Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2013–2014 5
made healthy changes to their lifestyle
as a result of attending the program.
In general would you say your health is:
During the past week, or even if it was not a typical week for you,
how much total time (for the entire week) did you spend exercising?
10% reduction of a poor self-reported health status
reduction in the number of participants
remaining sedentary.
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26%
100%
made healthy changes to their eating habits
as a result of attending the program.100%
110.5kg 200.5cm
waist
circumference lost
lost +

6. Above: Diabetes Self-Management
Program, November 2013, Cleveland
Health and Wellbeing Group
Programs reunion 2013
An annual reunion is held for current and past participants of
all the Health and Wellbeing Group Programs. This reunion is a
chance for participants to catch up with past group members
and facilitators, refresh on self-management techniques and
connect with local services available in their region that may
be of assistance. A total of 47 past participants attended the
reunions held across three geographical locations: Logan,
Jimboomba, and Macleay Island.
www.facebook.com/sthbrisbanemedlocal www.twitter.com/sthbrismedlocal
1300 467 265 I engagewithus@gmsbml.org.au I www.gmsbml.org.au
Medicare Locals gratefully acknowledge the financial and other support from the Australian Government Department of Health.
Testimonials from our reunion
• I find these reunions very rewarding. The advice,
the reinforcement of what we’ve already heard,
meeting up with fellow sufferers/attendees. All
have a positive effect on my thinking and on my
commitment to continue trying to improve my
health and lifestyle. Thank you!
• Long live Medicare Local. It certainly has
assisted me to understand my chronic
conditions and to make life less painful and
more active. Thank you for a most interesting
day.
• As well as being very informative, the program I
have done plus this reunion has been wonderful
for my emotional health and wellbeing by being
social and interacting with others.
• I have completed the DSMP and must say I am
glad I did. Before attending I had no idea just
how serious this condition is. The course was so
well delivered it allowed you to fully understand
what I needed to know. I believe everyone who
has diabetes should have to attend. It has
totally changed my way of living and I know I
will benefit into the future.
Above: Gratitude Tree activity with reunion
participants, 4 December 2014
6
For more information
If you would like to refer patients into the Health and Wellbeing Group Programs please complete the
enrolment form inside our brochure or contact us directly on 1300 467 265.
On the GMSBML website you will find an electronic copy of the brochure along with other useful
information about the programs, including our 2015 calendar and Frequently Asked Questions Sheet -
http://gmsbml.org.au/programs-and-services/healthy-lifestyles/health-wellbeing-programs/
continued to use self-management techniques
either daily or weekly to manage their
condition/s.
The most popular self-management techniques
used were; physical activity, healthy eating,
relaxation/distraction and medications.
felt since completing a program that their
health had improved.
88%
62%