Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease - Program Extension 2020-21 to 2023-24

Overview

The MOICDP helps to improve access to health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with chronic disease. Under MOICDP, multidisciplinary clinical services are provided by a range of health professionals such as medical specialists, GPs, nurses and allied health professionals, for best practice chronic disease prevention, treatment, management and follow-up. Access is increased by removing the disincentives incurred by health professionals providing outreach services (e.g. by funding their travel, meals and accommodation). For the purposes of the program, a chronic disease is defined as 'a condition that has been, or is likely to be, present for six months or longer'. The objectives of the program are to: increase access to multidisciplinary care in primary health care settings for Indigenous people with chronic disease; and increase the range of services offered by visiting health professionals to prevent, detect, and manage chronic disease more effectively.  The intended outcomes of the program are: enhanced coordination of services; new outreach services established that focus primarily on management of chronic disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and existing outreach services are expanded where required; improved services based on location of greatest need; improved health service planning; improved collaboration between health services in local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and visiting health professionals to target the delivery of essential treatment for chronic disease; improved culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and reducing/removing the financial disincentives that create barriers to service provision to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.