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
Implementation Progress
| What we are aiming to do | Performance benchmark | Deliverables for 2009-10 | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce the Indigenous smoking rate and the burden of tobacco related chronic disease for Indigenous communities (A1) | Number and key results of culturally secure community education/health promotion/social marketing activities to promote quitting and smoke-free environments Number of service delivery staff trained to deliver the interventions Data against the benchmarks will be reported in 2010-11 |
Partnership, program and funding arrangements agreed with jurisdictions. | As agreed with state and territory governments, funding for tackling smoking workforce will be provided directly to appropriate organisations |
| National formative campaign research undertaken | Formative market research to inform the development of social marketing activities has been completed, and a marketing strategy is under development | ||
| National Coordinator appointed | Dr Tom Calma has been appointed the National Tackling Smoking Coordinator | ||
| Funding provided for enhanced culturally sensitive services delivered by Quitline | Funding provided for the enhancement of Quitlines in all states and territories except Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Funding for Tasmania and the Northern Territory will be provided in 2010-11 | ||
| Regional tobacco action coordinators recruited to cover 20 sites | Funding provided for a tackling smoking workforce in 20 regions and the ACT and rollout of the workforce will commence in July 2010 | ||
Assist Indigenous Australians to reduce their risk of chronic disease and better manage their conditions and lifestyle risk factors through the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices (A2)
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Number of service delivery staff trained to deliver the interventions Data against the benchmark will be reported in 2010-11
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Nationally recognised and accredited core competencies and training program developed for delivery by the VET sector or other appropriate education and training organisation – February 2010 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Registered Training Organisation Network have identified currently available appropriate VET training courses |
Training and service provision funding agreements in place – March 2010 |
Edith Cowan University (HealthInfoNet) has been contracted to develop resource packs for the Regional Tobacco Coordinators, Tobacco Action Workers and Healthy Lifestyle Workers |
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Recruitment of healthy lifestyle workers commences – June 2010 |
Funding provided for the recruitment of 41 healthy lifestyle workers in 20 regions and the ACT.
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Training of healthy lifestyle workers commences – May 2010 |
Host organisations are responsible for ensuring workers engage in appropriate VET training, induction training and ongoing development |
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Improve Indigenous Australians’ awareness of, and access to, health measures to better promote their health and wellbeing (A3)
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Number and key results of culturally secure community education/health promotion/social marketing activities to promote quitting and smoke-free environments Data against the benchmark will be reported in 2010-11
|
Partnership, program and funding arrangements agreed with jurisdictions |
This activity has been delayed due to additional time needed to complete the formative research and subsequent marketing strategy. |
Undertake research program |
Formative market research to inform the development of local Indigenous community campaigns has been completed, and a marketing strategy is under development |
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Community partnership programs developed |
Funding provided to eight Divisions of General Practice State Based Organisations and eight Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Affiliates to promote MBS indigenous health assessment, chronic disease management and follow-up items |
Assist Indigenous Australians to reduce their risk of chronic disease and better manage their conditions and lifestyle risk factors through the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices (A2) | Number of service delivery staff trained to deliver the interventions Data against the benchmark will be reported in 2010-11 | Nationally recognised and accredited core competencies and training program developed for delivery by the VET sector or other appropriate education and training organisation – February 2010 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Registered Training Organisation Network have identified currently available appropriate VET training courses |
| Training and service provision funding agreements in place – March 2010 | Edith Cowan University (HealthInfoNet) has been contracted to develop resource packs for the Regional Tobacco Coordinators, Tobacco Action Workers and Healthy Lifestyle Workers | ||
| Recruitment of healthy lifestyle workers commences – June 2010 | Funding provided for the recruitment of 41 healthy lifestyle workers in 20 regions and the ACT. | ||
| Training of healthy lifestyle workers commences – May 2010 | Host organisations are responsible for ensuring workers engage in appropriate VET training, induction training and ongoing development | ||
| Improve Indigenous Australians’ awareness of, and access to, health measures to better promote their health and wellbeing (A3) | Number and key results of culturally secure community education/health promotion/social marketing activities to promote quitting and smoke-free environments Data against the benchmark will be reported in 2010-11 | Partnership, program and funding arrangements agreed with jurisdictions | This activity has been delayed due to additional time needed to complete the formative research and subsequent marketing strategy. |
| Undertake research program | Formative market research to inform the development of local Indigenous community campaigns has been completed, and a marketing strategy is under development | ||
| Community partnership programs developed | Funding provided to eight Divisions of General Practice State Based Organisations and eight Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Affiliates to promote MBS indigenous health assessment, chronic disease management and follow-up items | ||
| Improve access to and quality use of Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) medicines for Indigenous Australians with chronic disease or chronic disease risk factors who attend a participating general practice or Indigenous health service in a non-remote area (B1) | No specific benchmark | Program governance arrangements established | Program governance arrangements established through the PBS Copayment Measure Technical Reference Groups |
| Information technology support rolled out | Pharmacist dispensing software upgraded to permit implementation on 1 July 2010. GP prescribing software providers have been funded to provide upgrades. | ||
| Training and education materials developed | Program guidelines and communications materials for GPs and pharmacists have been finalised and are publicly available | ||
| Provide increased funding to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to meet higher utilisation costs by Indigenous Australians accessingcomplementary programs in this Plan (B2) |
Number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people receiving a MBS Adult Health Check | Legislation amended to increase the cap on services for Practice Nurse/ Aboriginal Health Worker follow up items | Legislative amendment effective from 1 November 2009. 29,799 Indigenous adult health assessments provided, an increase of 26.1% on 2008-09 3,564 Indigenous specific services were provided by Aboriginal health workers and practice nurses in 2009-10, an increase of 611% on 2008-09 |
| Encourage general practices to provide better health care for Indigenous Australians and improve the continuity of care for those with chronic health conditions (B3) | Number of Indigenous specific health services meeting national minimum standards Improved patient referral and recall for more effective health care, and in particular, chronic disease management Data against the | Business rules agreed with Medicare Australia | Business rules have been agreed with Medicare Australia |
| Implementation commences May 2010 | The first payments through the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) Indigenous Health Incentive were made to eligible practices in May 2010 By 30 June 2010, around 850 PIP practices and Indigenous health services had joined the incentive, and around 2900 patients had been registered | ||
| benchmarks will be reported in 2010-11 | CDMP fund holders contracted | Funding agreements are in place with all fundholders (8 State Based Organisations) for the Care Coordination and Supplementary Services Program | |
| Support Indigenous Australians to better manage or self manage their chronic disease (B4) | Improved patient referral and recall for more effective health care, and in particular, chronic disease management | Nationally recognised and accredited core competencies and training program developed for delivery by the VET sector or other appropriate education and training organisation – February 2010 Training and service provision funding agreements in place – March 2010 | Flinders University of South Australia has been engaged to develop, pilot and deliver a specialist Chronic Disease Self Management (CDSM) support training program which is suitable for delivery to Indigenous Australians in a range of settings and circumstances |
| Commencement of healthy lifestyle training | In July 2010, organisations employing health workers who manage large numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients will be invited to identify staff to receive the training and deliver CDSM sessions to patients | ||
| Commencement of delivery of risk modification/ self management sessions or activities | The development phase of CDSM training will include an evaluative trial of the program design which will delay the formal commencement of service delivery until September 2010. This delay will not impact on the service delivery targets of 5,000 sessions delivered by end 2010-11 | ||
| Increase access to specialist and multidisciplinary team follow-up care for Indigenous Australians (B5) | No specific benchmark | MSOAP guidelines enhanced following consultation with key stakeholders Communities/ chronic conditions identified for MSOAP support MSOAP service plans finalised and approved from Jan 2010. | First MSOAP services have commenced in Qld, WA and NSW, with 148 services provided across these states |
Urban outreach services to commence from May 2010
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The first urban specialist outreach services were delivered in NSW in May 2010 | ||
| Increase access to specialist and multidisciplinary team follow-up care for Indigenous Australians (B5) | Flexible funds pools holding arrangements available from May 2010 | Flexible funding for specialist follow-up is now being managed as a component of the Care Coordination and Supplementary Services Program (B3) | |
| Monitor and evaluate the Closing the Gap Chronic Disease initiative (B6) | Improved quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification in key vitals and administrative datasets | Monitoring and evaluation framework developed. | Draft monitoring and evaluation framework was developed and will be finalised by early August 2010 |
| Consultant engaged to develop a web-based reporting tool for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations to simplify and streamline reporting on health service provision | |||
| Build the Indigenous health workforce through education and training initiatives (C1) | No specific benchmark | Funding agreements in place with Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), nursing organisations and General Practice Education and Training (GPET) | Funding agreement is in place with Royal College of Nursing Australia to provide 50 nursing scholarships and 50 new nurse clinical placements each year over four years in Indigenous health services |
| 38 general practitioner (GP) registrar training posts | 38 additional GP registrar training posts in Indigenous Health Services were established | ||
Training resources developed IOW* training and support commences *now referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers 71 positions recruited (IOWs*, practice managers, and additional health professionals) *now referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers |
NACCHO delivered jurisdictional workshops in WA, SA, NSW, Vic, Qld and the NT to identify orientation and training needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers. Nationally consistent orientation and training programs are being developed in 2010-11 in each jurisdiction, based on outcomes from the jurisdictional workshops. In the interim, orientation is being provided at the local level to Outreach Workers where they are being employed 212 positions funded:
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| Increase the capacity of Indigenous and mainstream health organisations to provide better continuity of care for Indigenous people with chronic and complex health conditions (C2 & C3) | Number of new case * managers/ Indigenous liaison officers (referred to as Indigenous Outreach Workers in the Commonwealth Implementation Plan) recruited and operational *referred to as practice managers in the Implementation Plan |
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| Capital works projects to support increased activity associated with the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package and expanded workforce | Funding provided for capital works projects in Wiluna (WA) and Rumbalara (Vic) | ||
| Three National Indigenous Health Equality Council (NIHEC) meetings conducted | Three NIHEC meetings have taken place | ||
| Encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students to pursue a career in health. Generate interest and encourage more health professionals to work in Indigenous health (C4) | No specific benchmark | Market research program conducted | Formative research to inform the communication campaign to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students to take up careers in health was completed |
| Advertising materials and resources developed Roadshow activities undertaken Website developed Sponsorship of health and Indigenous conferences | Delayed until 2011 due to additional time needed to complete the formative research and develop the marketing strategy | ||
| Ensure health service providers have access to relevant and culturally appropriate information to improve decision making processes and inform management options for Indigenous Australians (C5) | No specific benchmark | Consultation with experts commences and coordination across DoHA | The Primary Health Care Resource Technical Reference Group was established and is advising the Department on the development of the primary health care resource Work has already commenced on the development of the primary health care resource |