Aboriginal people in Central Australia experience a disproportionate burden of diabetes and related complications. Since January 2011, the Baker Institute has been providing a Diabetes Outreach Service in Alice Springs to more than a dozen remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. This service fills an unmet need for healthcare in a complex environment, being the only diabetes specialist outreach service available to Central Australian remote communities. In addition to direct clinical service delivery, the Baker Institute's Diabetes Outreach Service also aims to build remote health services capacity to provide better practice diabetes care through in-service training and ongoing professional support.
The In's Diabetes Outreach Service is based on a multidisciplinary model of care where diabetes nurse educators (RN CDEs) work with diabetes specialists in collaboration with primary health care providers at remote health clinics. The Baker Institute's diabetes nurse educators provide, patient consultation and staff education, support specialists during their visit, and monitor patient outcomes. The Institute's outreach specialists visit communities twice yearly in accordance with best practice diabetes care. During these visits, they also provide education to remote health clinic staff. In this way, remote communities benefit from the most advanced care in diabetes.stitute