Outreach in the outback

• Reach:

  WA

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Current

• Evaluated:

  No

Overview

Outreach in the Outback is a visiting medical outreach service. The program operates in over fifty locations in Western Australia, ranging from Kununurra to Albany and as far east as Tjuntjuntjarra. Visits can range from one day to two weeks. The program is run by Rural Health West and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) under the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP).

The objectives of the MSOAP program are to:

• increase and improve access to medical services for rural, remote and Indigenous populations
• support health professionals to provide outreach services to rural, remote and Indigenous communities
• encourage collaboration between health services and health professionals in the community to maintain continuity of patient care
• increase and maintain the skills of regional, rural and remote health professionals
• work with communities to build self-knowledge and support informed self-care
• increase the range of services offered by visiting health professionals to detect, manage and prevent chronic disease.

Outreach in the outback currently administers five programs:

• specialist services
• Indigenous chronic disease
• urban specialist services
• maternity services
• ophthalmology services.

HealthInfoNet abstract

Contacts

Rural Health West
10 Stirling Highway
Nedlands WA 6009
P.O. Box 433
Nedlands WA 6909
Ph: (08) 6389 4500
Fax: (08) 6389 4501
Email: outreachintheoutback@ruralhealthwest.com.au

Links

• View information: Outreach in the outback
• View contact details: Rural Health West
• View website: Rural Health West