RDN Outreach Survey Reports now available to read

Each year, RDN conducts surveys of patients, Outreach health professionals and local partner organisations. Health Outreach programs are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) and are administered by RDN in NSW and the ACT to improve health access for remote, rural, regional and Aboriginal communities.  

141,264 Occasions of Service were accessed by Aboriginal people across all programs from 2023-24, reflecting the uptake of many Outreach services specifically designed to increase access to healthcare for Aboriginal communities, including chronic disease, mental health, hearing and eye health services 

The Outreach Patient Survey seeks to gain valuable feedback on the patient experience, while the Outreach Health Professional Survey seeks comment on a health practitioner’s overall program satisfaction as well as insights on service delivery, communications, workforce trends, telehealth and local and cultural orientation practices. In 2023-24, 125 Outreach health practitioners and 358 patients and/or carers participated.  

Surveying local partner organisations that provide Outreach services is also conducted as part of the annual review process across the following programmes: 

• Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) 
• Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP)  
• Healthy Ears Better Hearing Better Listening (HEBHBL) 
• Visiting Optometry Scheme (VOS)  
• Ear and Eye Surgical Service (EESS)  

This survey provides valuable feedback and insight into the local partner organisation experience, and overall satisfaction with the Outreach services provided across NSW and the ACT. 

RDN works in partnership with local organisations to support health professionals who provide more than 1200 Outreach services annually, in around 180 towns and communities in NSW and the ACT. The programs provide health professionals the opportunity to experience working in rural or Aboriginal communities, and supports students and registrars to participate in Outreach clinics to gain exposure to rural and Aboriginal health. 

Survey feedback is used to inform service planning as part of Outreach’s quality improvement process and all three 2023-2024 reports are available now to view:  

You can also read more about Outreach in RDN’s latest annual report.