Closing the Gap

Closing the Gap

Project Officers:
Janet Stajic Hervey Bay office

Overview: Engaging Divisions of General Practice to improve Indigenous Access to mainstream primary care

Engaging Divisions of General Practice to improve Indigenous Access to mainstream primary care fact sheet (PDF 223KB)

Program Guidelines - Indigenous Health Project Officers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers (PDF 420KB)

What the Australian Government is doing
The Government is funding local Indigenous people to work as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers within the Divisions of General Practice Network. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will encourage and support Indigenous people to access primary health care services and to ensure follow-up treatment is accessed. This may include assisting people to travel to and from appointments.
Indigenous Health Project Officer positions are also being funded to provide leadership in Indigenous health issues within the Divisions of General Practice Network, including increased awareness and understanding of the various Closing the Gap initiatives relevant to mainstream primary care.

How this will work

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will be drawn from local Indigenous communities. They are not expected to have existing qualifications, but will be provided with training opportunities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will be directly supported by Indigenous Health Project Officers and the Divisions.

• Indigenous Health Project Officers will work in Divisions of General Practice to:
     *improve the capacity of mainstream primary care providers to deliver culturally sensitive services to Indigenous Australians (including through cultural awareness training, quality improvement, health    promotion and education and Indigenous liaison);

                 *help the community, mainstream primary care providers and Indigenous health services to work together to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and
                 *support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers.

• Funding is also provided for Indigenous Health Project Officer positions in state-based organisations and the Australian General Practice Network to lead and coordinate Indigenous health activities at the state and national level.

How this will help Indigenous Australians

• Indigenous people will have better access to culturally sensitive mainstream primary care.
• General practice will be seen as a valid, trustworthy and accessible first point of call for the health needs of Indigenous Australians.
• General practitioners and other primary care providers will be supported in managing specific Indigenous health needs/issues at the local level.
• Indigenous Australians will benefit from increased collaboration between mainstream primary care and Indigenous health services.

Who will implement the new approach

• The Divisions of General Practice Network.

Links:

• GP Links Wide Bay General Practices that have signed with the Indigenous Health Incentive

• DoHA Closing the Gap - Indigenous Chronic Disease
• Practice Incentives Program: Indigenous health incentives guidelines - 2010
• PIP Indigenous Health Incentive - Medicare payments
• PBS Co-Payment Measure: Pharmacy staff resource booklet

Resources:

• Closing the Gap: A framework for cultural capability
• Closing the Gap: Information sheet
• DoHA GP Resource Kit
• Medicare forms and guidelines
• IHI PIP calculator:
  Moreton Bay General Practice Network have developed a PIP IHI calculator to assist in education and support of practices. The calculator can be downloaded here
  The MBS items needed for Tier 1 and Tier 2 payments have been included to assist practices with some income projections, with the hope this may enlist more support for the IHI. Please feel free to download it or direct your practices to it if this helps in your work.
• Radio advertisement Closing the Gap 
• Client Transport Referral Form
• CCSS referral form
• CCSS information sheet
• Outreach Services brochure

 

• Closing the Gap: GP Links GP Pack
  
  
  • Closing the Gap: Information for General Practices
  • 1.01 DoHA Booklet
  • 2.01 DoHA The Indigenous Chronic Disease Package: Fact sheet
  • 3.01 DoHA National action to reduce Indigenous smoking rates: Fact sheet
  • 3.02 DoHA Helping Indigenous Australians to reduce their risk of chronic disease: Fact sheet
  • 3.03 DoHA Local Indigenous community campaigns to promote better health: Fact sheet
  • 4.01 DoHA PBS Co-payment Measure: Information sheet
  • 4.02 DoHA PBS Co-payment Measure: Information sheet for GPs
  • 4.03 DoHA PBS Co-payment Measure: Pharmacy staff resource booklet
  • 4.04 DoHA PBS Co-payment Measure: Pharmacy poster
  • 4.05 DoHA Higher utilisation costs for MBS and PBS: Fact sheet
  • 4.06 DoHA Supporting primary care providers to coordinate disease management: Fact sheet
  • 4.07 DoHA PIP Indigenous Health Incentive FAQs
  • 4.08 DoHA Care Coordination and Supplementary Services: Program Guidelines
  • 4.09 DoHA Improving Indigenous participation in health care through chronic disease self management: Fact sheet
  • 4.10 DoHA Increasing specialist and allied health follow up care: Fact sheet
  • 4.11 DoHA Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program Indigenous Chronic Disease 2009 – 2013: Guidelines
  • 4.12: DoHA Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (Indigenous Chronic Disease): Policy Framework
  • 4.13: DoHA Monitoring and evaluation: Fact sheet
  • 5.01: DoHA Workforce education and training: Fact sheet
  • 5.02 DoHA Expanding the outreach and service capacity of Indigenous health services: Fact sheet
  • 5.03 DoHA Engaging Divisions of General Practice to improve Indigenous access to mainstream primary care: Fact sheet
  • 5.04 DoHA Attracting more people to work in Indigenous health: Fact sheet
  • 5.05 DoHA Clinical practice and decision support guidelines: Fact sheet
  • 6.01 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI Guidelines
  • 6.02 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI application form
  • 6.03 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI and PBS patient information sheet
  • 6.04 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI and PBS patient consent form
  • 6.05 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI and PBS patient registration form
  • 6.06 DoHA Medicare PIP IHI and PBS patient withdrawal form
  • 7.01 DoHA Dental Services under Medicare for People with Chronic and Complex Conditions: Patient fact sheet
  • 7.02 DoHA Dental Services under Medicare for People with Chronic and Complex Conditions: GP fact sheet
  • 7.03 DoHA Dental Services under Medicare for People with Chronic and Complex Conditions: GP referral form
  • 7.04 Dental Services under Medicare for People with Chronic and Complex Conditions: Teen brochure

Media Reports:

• Closing the Gap: The Indigenous Chronic Disease Package in 2009-10
  Annual Progress Report on the Australian Government’s contribution to the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, November 2010