Multidisciplinary Team Approach - Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care

We are seeking Credentialled Diabetes Educators and Accredited Practising Dietitians to pilot a multidisciplinary team approach to managing type 2 diabetes in general practices in eastern Penrith.

In brief

The Department of Health and Aged Care’s 10-year Primary Health Care Plan outlines the importance of multidisciplinary teams (MDT) in primary care. An MDT is a group of health professionals who may be part of different professions or businesses, who work together to coordinate care for a patient. Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are an important part of collaborative primary care for many patients, particularly for those with complex or chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.   

We intend to help demonstrate and evaluate the use of MDT care in a primary healthcare setting, through its pilot project to improve care coordination of patients with type 2 diabetes in the eastern Penrith LGA (which includes suburbs such as St Marys, North St Marys, Colyton, St Clair).  

Who can apply

Credentialled Diabetes Educators and Accredited Practising Dietitians meeting the following eligibility criteria: 

• accredited with the appropriate professional governing body (i.e. Australian Diabetes Educators Association and/or Dietitians Australia) 
• working in private practice
• experience working in a primary healthcare setting, either within any of the LGAs of the Nepean Blue Mountains region (i.e. Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Lithgow LGAs) or outside the region
• willingness to work in eastern Penrith (e.g. St Marys, North St Marys, Colyton, St Clair) to provide services
• have appropriate insurance and indemnity coverage including
  - Public Liability Insurance of up to $20 million
  - Professional Indemnity insurance
  - worker's compensation insurance to an amount required by law
• have a current NSW driver’s license. 

What's involved? 

The model of care will be developed through a co-design process with the selected AHPs and the participating general practices (GPs). This will include communication methods, co-location agreements, frequency of service provision by the AHPs, roles and responsibilities, etc.  

It is the intention to set up the MDT model through a healthcare neighbourhood approach by engaging appropriate AHPs who are in the immediate area, where possible. This project intends to help support the local market, particularly those who are already engaged in the eastern Penrith/Penrith community. If commissioning AHPs from eastern Penrith is not possible, the project will commission AHPs in the surrounding LGAs who are willing to travel to eastern Penrith to provide their services. 

As a part of this pilot, the Credentialed Diabetes Educators and Accredited Practising Dietitians will be required to:  

• participate in the co-design of the model of care with GPs of the 6-8 participating general practices in eastern Penrith and other relevant individuals, before service delivery commences;
• co-locate in the participating general practices for the agreed number of clinic days/sessions;
• conduct initial assessments of and deliver care through individual and group sessions to patients with Type 2 Diabetes of participating general practices;
• write required clinical reports;
• work in collaboration with other care team members (i.e. other AHPs and GPs) through team meetings, case conferencing, shared medical appointments, secure messaging and other agreed methods;
• participate in up-skilling workshops;
• attend regular team meetings with Wentworth Healthcare, other AHPs and GPs to review and evaluate the MDT pilot model;
• provide regular written progress reports, including data, to Wentworth Healthcare;
• participate in annual reviews of the MDT model;
• participate in a national evaluation of the pilot project 

Duration of the MDT Pilot 

• The co-design phase is anticipated to start in early December 2024 and end in February or March 2025.
• The service delivery phase will start in February or March 2025 and end on 30 June 2027. 

Funding

There is funding available for this pilot project. To receive funding the successful applicants must enter into a contract with Wentworth Healthcare. Funding information will be provided in the application Information Package when the EOI opens.

More information

An information session will be held on Zoom as a webinar on Monday 14 October from 6:00pm – 6:45 pm. If you are interested in attending this webinar, please visit the event page to register. 

How to apply

The EOI will open on Wednesday 16 October at 9.00am. Please submit your application via this webpage on or after this date. More information will become available from Monday 14 October.