A new paper by members of our team published in BMC Health Services Research describes a program evaluation of a pilot mobile developmental outreach clinic for Autism in Ontario. MacART collaborated with our colleagues from the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC) on this evaluation of the Mobile Developmental Outreach Clinic (M-DOC) – a program led by SAAAC and designed to help families act early and to help their children receive important support services. The mobile aspect of this clinic allowed their team to deliver community-based, point of care service to vulnerable populations by meeting families where they are.
Lead author Mahdis Kamali, a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University, spearheaded this evaluation and noted, “I am thrilled to play a role in the recognition of the important work SAAAC leads in delivering accessible services to vulnerable families. We hope to use this evidence to advocate for increased services for all underserved families in Ontario and beyond.”
The mobile delivery model of the M-DOC highlights opportunities for other programs and organizations to adopt a similar outreach approach, providing the means to increase access to services for hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations.
This academic article is available to read here.