Opportunistic Case Finding
Opportunistic Case Finding (OCF) commenced in January 2022 and now applies to eligible GMS/DVC patients aged 45 years and over and involves a process whereby, on an opportunistic basis (i.e. when a patient attends for another issue and the patient is not already registered on the Structured CDM Programme) they are offered an OCF assessment which is undertaken in accordance with a set of risk criteria and appropriate tests/assessments are carried out to identify those with an undiagnosed chronic disease or those at high risk of developing a chronic disease.
OCF assessments will be carried out in line with the 2019 GP Agreement.
The fee per OCF is €60 (no superannuation).
OCF Risk Criteria
The following are the risk criteria for the patients who the GP could select for assessment as these patients tend to have a higher prevalence for Chronic Disease:
Current smoker
BMI ≥ 30 approx. i.e. obese
History of gestational diabetes
Dyslipidaemia (HDL less than 0.9 or triglycerides greater than 2.82) (previously recorded)
Moderate or severe chronic kidney disease ([eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2], [previously recorded])
History of severe Mental Illness
Irish Travellers, Roma, African & Asian Ethnicities (given high incidence of CVD in in this population cohort)
Outcome of OCF
After the OCF, the patient can be categorised into one of the following three patient populations and relevant action taken:
Diagnosed with Chronic Disease
Register on CDM Treatment Programme
High Risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease and/or Diabetes
Register on Prevention Programme (PP)
Low Risk (General Population)
Not registered on either programme.
OCF assessments should not be carried out on the same individual patient more frequently than every 5 years.
Patients can be registered on the Prevention Programme (PP) or the CDM Treatment Programme on the same day as the OCF assessment. You must submit the OCF review before the PP or CDM review to get paid for the OCF.