The UQ Centre for Online Health (UQ-COH) have been commissioned by Manngoor Dja Aboriginal Health Services (formerly the NCACCH) to evaluate an innovative service which aims to improve access to culturally appropriate health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland.
The Mod Pod initiative held a kick-off event in August for their collaboration partners, attended by Prof Liam Caffery and Prof Anthony Smith on behalf of UQ-COH. The Mob Pod has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) Program. It involves a trial of a new model of healthcare service delivery for the community by launching a fully equipped, digitally capable mobile health service that extends beyond traditional care models. Community engagement will be key, to ensure the collaborative design and planning of services that meet the specific needs and preferences of the local population.
The Mobile Health Pod will deliver critical health services, including mental health support, nurse-led clinics, telehealth consultations, and specialized care, directly to regional and remote communities (within 3–7 of the Modified Monash Model) in the Gympie and Noosa regions.
Prof Liam Caffery will lead the 2025-2027 evaluation of the Mod Pod program, along with Prof Anthony Smith and Dr Centaine Snoswell. The evaluation will focus on:
- Comprehensive case study description of the Mob Pod service including governance, networks, locations, rationale, goal, procedures, activities and processes, infrastructure, staff resources, modes of service delivery, tailoring and modifications, and fidelity;
- Evaluation of distinct clinical services with an aim of identifying the context in which the service operates, and the clinical and cost effectiveness of the service; and
- Factors influencing the financial sustainability of the Mob Pod.
In addition to the evaluation of the Mob Pod, the UQ-COH will deliver practical telehealth training workshops. UQ-COH have extensive experience in telehealth training and have developed a multidisciplinary telehealth training curriculum. These workshops will be held in conjunction with site visits by the UQ-COH researchers, as part of the evaluation.
If you’re a healthcare provider or community member in the Gympie and Noosa regions – spread the word that the Mob Pod mobile health van will be regularly visiting a town near you, bringing culturally appropriate healthcare closer to home and offering both in person and telehealth appointments. A calendar of dates and locations of the Mob Pod van can be seen on their website here.
