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Outreach in the Outback
Outreach in the Outback encompasses a range of measures funded by the Australian Government through the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) and administered by Rural Health West in collaboration with its key partners and stakeholders.
Outreach in the Outback aims to improve access to medical specialists and multidisciplinary health teams for rural and remote towns and communities. Outreach services are funded through the following programs:
- Outreach in the Outback - Specialist Services
- Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease
- Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Specialist Services
- Outreach in the Outback - Maternity Services
- Outreach in the Outback - Ophthalmology Services
This website will be updated when information is made available to Rural Health West.
| Download brochure here |
Download general information here |
Outreach in the Outback - Specialist Services
Outreach in the Outback - Specialist Services supports a broad range of medical specialists to provide visiting services to people living in rural and remote towns and communities. This program has been operating in Western Australia since 2001 and provides outreach services to over 17,000 patients each year in over 50 locations.
The services that have been funded in 2010 / 2011 are listed in the attachment. For actual visiting dates, please contact your local hospital, health service or Division of General Practice.
| Download guidelines to MSOAP here |
Download list of approved specialist services here |
Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease
Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease is a new program that commenced in June 2010 and is designed to support teams of visiting health professionals to manage complex and chronic diseases within rural and remote Indigenous communities.
As well as medical specialists, Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease supports general practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals to provide multidisciplinary services that focus on the detection, management, treatment and prevention of five nationally identified chronic diseases:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic respiratory disease
- Chronic renal (kidney) disease
- Cancer
The services that have been funded in 2010 / 2011 are listed in the attachment below. For the actual visiting dates of the multidisciplinary team members, please contact the host organisation named in the attachment.
| Download guidelines to MSOAP - Indigenous Chronic Disease here |
Download list of approved specialist services here |
Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Specialist Services
Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Specialist Services is a new program that will be implemented in Western Australia during 2010/2011. Its aim is to increase access to medical specialist outreach services for Indigenous peoples in areas identified as ASGC-RA1 (major cities) and ASGC-RA2 (inner regional). For Western Australia, this means the program will support Indigenous peoples living in the Perth metropolitan area and parts of the South West and Wheatbelt regions.
Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Specialist Services will focus on the management and treatment of chronic diseases with services provided by medical specialists in primary care settings that are culturally sensitive to Indigenous people's needs.
Currently, Rural Health West is meeting with key stakeholders and providers to identify areas of need and potential service locations. No services have yet been funded in 2010/2011. Service proposals will be invited later in 2010.
| DoctorConnect here |
Download Indigenous Specialist Services guidelines here |
Financial Support
Rural Health West can provide the following financial support for participating health professionals:
- Travel, accommodation and meals
- Daily workforce payment where MBS payments cannot be claimed or are not assured
- Absence from Practice Allowance for private providers for travel time to rural and remote locations
- Administrative support
- Facility and equipment hire, including telemedicine
- Cultural training and familiarisation
Download further information about financial support for participating health professionals here.
Service / Funding Round for 2010/2011
Outreach in the Outback services are funded and reviewed on an annual basis. The 2010/2011 funding round closed on 16 April 2010 for the following programs:
- Outreach in the Outback - Specialist Services
- Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease
The current approved services for these programs for 2010/2011 are listed in the program sections above. The funding round for 2011/2012 will commence in early February 2011 and information will be posted on this website closer to that date.
Outreach in the Outback does accept ad hoc service proposals which will be considered if additional funding is made available for the Specialist Services and Indigenous Chronic Disease programs during the financial year. Please complete the service proposal form and email it to msoap@ruralhw.com.au.
| Download service proposal form here |
Service proposals for the new Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Specialist Services program will be invited later in 2010.
Current Service Providers
Your Service Provider Agreement includes a Payment Schedule which details your approved funding for outreach services.
Please send your invoice and service activity report to us as soon as possible after each visit to ensure prompt payment:
- by email to msoap@ruralhw.com.au
- by facsmile to 08 6389 4501
Timely receipt of your invoices and service activity reports helps us to determine whether there may be further funds available to support additional services
| Download sample tax invoice here |
Download service report form here |
Resources
A separate needs analysis has been developed for each of the seven rural regions. These analyses encapsulate overarching demographic and epidemiological data from a range of sources, including the WACHS Clinical Services Plans and the dataset provided to the regional Aboriginal Health Planning Forums.
NB: It is recognised that Aboriginal populations may be under-reported in the ABS data.
Would you like to be part of Outreach in the Outback?
Many rural and remote towns and communities need better access to specialised medical services closer to where people live. As we all know, there is a significant shortage of health providers in our rural and remote areas to treat a wide range of conditions.
With outreach visits ranging from one day to two weeks, a relatively small amount of your time can relieve this shortage and provide a profoundly positive impact in these communities. Health professionals involved in these programs will make a significant contribution to the health of rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
The benefits to you of being part of Outreach in the Outback include:
- Be a part of making a difference in rural and remote Western Australian communities
- Expand your experiential base and encounter different medical conditions to those seen in metro areas
- Travel to some beautiful locations across Western Australia
- Bring accessible health care to all Western Australians
- Contribute to the detection, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases
- Help generations of Western Australians to develop beneficial attitudes towards health and lifestyle
- Upskill the local area
- Funding provided to assist your visits
If you are interested in taking part in Outreach in the Outback or would like more information about any aspect of Outreach in the Outback in Western Australia, email MSOAP or telephone 08 6389 4540
Bringing health services closer to home for Western Australians living in rural and remote towns and communities.