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Fighting Diabetes together: A game-changer in Queensland

TSCC team photo- Supplied

What’s happening?

A year-long study by James Cook University (JCU) researchers and Mackay Base Hospital staff in Queensland has showcased the success of the Together Strong Connected Care (TSCC) Programme.

The initiative, involving 119 patients in the Mackay area, revealed that those enrolled in TSCC enjoyed a significantly greater reduction in their average blood sugar levels (HbA1c) than patients not participating in the programme.

Mackay Base Hospital-Supplied

Why it matters?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are around three times more likely to develop diabetes compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

Many First Nations communities, particularly in remote or regional settings, face challenges such as reduced awareness about diabetes management and limited access to specialist healthcare.

The TSCC model brings together a multidisciplinary team—including a nurse practitioner, credentialled diabetes educator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Liaison Officers, dieticians, physiotherapists and virtual health support officers—to deliver personalised care and education.

This holistic approach is proving highly effective in managing and, in some cases, reversing Type 2 diabetes progression.

Local Impact

The TSCC Programme offers a more hands-on and culturally responsive healthcare model for regional Queensland’s First Nations communities.

By providing one-on-one education, group lifestyle sessions and community event engagement, patients gain crucial knowledge and motivation to manage their diabetes effectively. The results have prompted calls to replicate the programme beyond the Mackay area and eventually across rural and remote communities nationwide.

By the numbers:

  • 119 participants took part in the year-long TSCC pilot study in the Mackay region.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three times more likely to develop diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians.
  • In some TSCC participants, blood sugar levels went back to pre-diabetes levels, demonstrating the power of a culturally tailored and multidisciplinary intervention.

Zoom In

Dr Harshal Deshmukh, Staff Specialist Endocrinologist at the Mackay Base Hospital and JCU Associate Professor, described the study’s results as “quite remarkable” in addressing Type 2 diabetes.

Dr Harshal Deshmukh- Supplied

He emphasised the importance of a more concentrated, face-to-face approach: “The level of reduction in HbA1c (blood sugar levels) is quite remarkable, because generally we really struggle to treat Type 2 diabetes for people living in remote and regional communities,” he said.

“When we are looking at First Nations’ communities there is generally a lot less awareness about diabetes management and the other complications around it. But through this multi-disciplinary approach we proved that you can actually have good outcomes for diabetes, rather than us just seeing them in a diabetes clinic and then asking them to come back after three months.”

He also underscored the potential for this model to be expanded: “This was a small study in one centre but if we were to replicate these findings in multiple regional Queensland centres, I think it could really help build a national framework,” Dr Deshmukh said. “I also think this multi-disciplinary approach would work not just for diabetes, but for other chronic conditions affecting First Nations and people in remote communities as well. The evidence is clearly there in our initial data and we should be trying to expand the programme beyond just one centre.”

Zoom Out

While this pilot focused on Mackay, the broader implications of the TSCC model extend across Australia.

As many rural and remote areas grapple with a shortage of specialist healthcare providers, adopting a telehealth-enabled, community-driven programme could help close the diabetes care gap for underserved populations.

Professor Usman Malabu, also from JCU, echoed this sentiment: “The TSCC approach could be expanded to other rural, regional and people of First Nations’ settlements where access to diabetes specialists is limited or non-existent,” Prof Malabu said.

“Another benefit is the incorporation of general health education on top of medications as a major contributory factor to improved diabetes care, and in some cases reversal of blood sugar levels back to pre-diabetes levels. The paper showed the power of motivational intervention and coupled with this holistic and culturally responsive educational programme, we were able to yield great results to these people managing Type 2 Diabetes.”

What To Look For Next?

  • Potential Statewide Rollout: Researchers and healthcare professionals are calling for government support to expand the TSCC Programme beyond the Mackay region, with hopes of creating a scalable template for other chronic conditions.
  • Further Research: Larger studies across multiple regional centres could help refine the approach and solidify its use as part of a national framework.
  • Community-Led Solutions: Continued emphasis on culturally relevant education and motivational interventions will remain crucial to sustain and improve diabetes care outcomes in First Nations communities.
WDD TSCC Team

 

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