The Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: An Operational Rationale and Some Reflections on Progress so far

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Giles ◽  
Merridy Malin ◽  
Peter Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health Council ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Research Excellence ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

The Centre of Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established in late 2003 through a major National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant involving collaboration between the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA), Flinders University, and Aboriginal Health Services. Our foundation research communities are the Aboriginal communities served by these Aboriginal Health Services in the Spencer Gulf / Eyre Peninsula region. In recent years a number of collaborative research programs involving chronic illness management, self-management and coordinated care have been implemented in these communities and this work is the basis of the initial CCRE activities. Key objectives of the CCRE are to improve the health status of Indigenous people through conducting relevant and meaningful Aboriginal controlled health research, providing formal training for Indigenous health researchers and developing innovative approaches to health care that can be readily translated and applied to support communities. The inclusion, empowerment and engagement of Indigenous people in the process of managing community health represent tangible strategies for achieving more equitable health outcomes for Aboriginal people. This paper outlines the CCRE operational rationale and presents early activities and outcomes across the three strategic areas of CCRE operations: research, education and training, and translation. Some critical reflections are offered on the progress and experience of the CCRE thus far. A common obstacle this CCRE has encountered is that the limited (especially staff) resources available to the Aboriginal Health Services with which we are collaborating make it difficult for them to engage with and progress the projects we are pursuing.

Establishing a Community-Controlled Multi-Institutional Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 121-128
Author(s):  
Leilani Pearce ◽  
Bronwyn Fredericks
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Research ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
James Cook ◽  
Health Council ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Research Excellence ◽  
National Heart Foundation ◽  
The University

AbstractThe Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) lead and govern the Centre for Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE), which has a focus on circulatory and associated conditions in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The CCRE is a partnership between QAIHC and Monash University, the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Queensland, James Cook University, the National Heart Foundation, and the University of Wollongong. The establishment of the CCRE under the community-controlled model of governance is unique and presents both opportunities and challenges for innovative partnerships between universities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations. This paper outlines the processes and strategies used to establish a multi-institutional research centre that is governed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector.

Considering the Impact of Social Media on Contemporary Improvement of Australian Aboriginal Health: Scoping Review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Troy Walker ◽  
Claire Palermo ◽  
Karen Klassen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Torres Strait

BACKGROUND Social media may have a significant role in influencing the present and future health implications among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet there has been no review of the role of social media in improving health. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities. METHODS A scoping review was conducted by systematically searching databases CINAHL Plus; PubMed; Scopus; Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE in June 2017 using the terms and their synonyms “Aboriginal” and “Social media.” In addition, reference lists of included studies and the Indigenous HealthInfonet gray literature were searched. Key information about the social media intervention and its impacts on health were extracted and data synthesized using narrative summaries. RESULTS Five papers met inclusion criteria. All included studies were published in the past 5 years and involved urban, rural, and remote Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged 12-60 years. No studies reported objective impacts on health. Three papers found that social media provided greater space for sharing health messages in a 2-way exchange. The negative portrayal of Aboriginal people and negative health impacts of social media were described in 2 papers. CONCLUSIONS Social media may be a useful strategy to provide health messages and sharing of content among Aboriginal people, but objective impacts on health remain unknown. More research is necessary on social media as a way to connect, communicate, and improve Aboriginal health with particular emphasis on community control, self-empowerment, and decolonization.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health — Current Policy Issues

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Australian Bureau ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Australian Bureau Of Statistics ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

This article addresses Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health problems and critically investigates current government policies which are attempting to raise the health standards of these Indigenous people. Particular emphasis will be placed on the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, which, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics census in 1986, stood at just over 61,000 or 2.4 per cent of the State's population.

scholarly journals Poverty and mental health in Aboriginal Australia

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 364-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Laugharne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Aboriginal Australians ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
Torres Strait

When the Australian Governor General, Sir William Deane, referred in a speech in 1996 to the “appalling problems relating to Aboriginal health” he was not exaggerating. The Australia Bureau of Statistics report on The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (McLennan & Madden, 1997) outlines the following statistics. The life expectancy for Aboriginal Australians is 15 to 20 years lower than for non-Aboriginal Australians, and is lower than for most countries of the world with the exception of central Africa and India. Aboriginal babies are two to three times more likely to be of lower birth weight and two to four times more likely to die at birth than non-Aboriginal babies. Hospitalisation rates are two to three times higher for Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal Australians. Death rates from infectious diseases are 15 times higher among Aboriginal Australians than non-Aboriginal Australians. Rates for heart disease, diabetes, injury and respiratory diseases are also all higher among Aboriginals – and so the list goes on. It is fair to say that Aboriginal people have higher rates for almost every type of illness for which statistics are currently recorded.

scholarly journals Addressing Uncomfortable Issues: Reflexivity as a Tool for Culturally Safe Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabelle Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Health Professional ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Aboriginal Culture ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Partnership Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

It is well recognised that research with Aboriginal communities needs to be ethical, meaningful and useful, in a way that is defined by communities themselves. This article provides an example of how reflexivity, from a number of positions and paradigms, can be used to undertake such research. I used a reflexive journal to document and critically assess the challenges and discomfort I experienced while undertaking research with Aboriginal communities, including uncertainty and feeling in the minority. Reflexivity allowed me to experience a number of key learnings, including: the importance of relationships; the importance of time, transparency and trust in relationships; reciprocity; the importance of listening; a partnership approach; and the impact of Aboriginal culture and past experience. The way in which I redefined my success as a researcher is also explored. In using reflexivity I reached new levels of understanding about myself, which enabled me to alter my practice and therefore change the experiences of those I was working with, ideally towards experiences that were perceived as culturally safe. Using reflexivity also enabled me to identify my position as a White researcher and centralise the needs and perspectives of Aboriginal people in my research. The purpose of this article is to present my own journey, as well as start a dialogue and provide a framework for how others might use reflexivity to become a culturally safe health professional or researcher and centralise the needs and perspectives of Aboriginal people in research and practice.

What constitutes ‘support’ for the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child health workforce?

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Watson ◽  
Jeanine Young ◽  
Margaret Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Overall Acceptability ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Use Of Health Services ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

As well as providing primary health care services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services through their role of cultural brokerage in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this vulnerable population. This study sought to identify key areas that both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health professionals working within Indigenous communities felt were important in providing support for their roles. This group of workers require support within their roles particularly in relation to cultural awareness and capability, resource provision, educational opportunities, collaboration with colleagues and peers, and professional mentorship. What is known about the topic? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this population. What does this paper add? Through consultation with a sample of Indigenous child health workers and child health workers key areas necessary to provide support for the individuals working in these roles have been identified. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings from this study will inform policy and program development in order to more comprehensively support health workers in the community and contribute towards workforce development and satisfaction, recruitment and retention.

‘We Can Do This’: a web-based therapeutic program for reducing methamphetamine use and increasing help-seeking amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Wait-list control, randomised trial protocol (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Reilly ◽  
Rebecca McKetin ◽  
Handan Wand ◽  
Julia Butt ◽  
Matthew Smout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Wait List ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Methamphetamine Use ◽  
Therapeutic Program ◽  
Torres Strait

BACKGROUND Methamphetamine use is of deep concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but access to culturally appropriate treatment resources and services is limited. Web-based programs have potential as flexible and cost-effective additions to the range of treatment options available to Aboriginal people. The We Can Do This web-based therapeutic program (WBTP) is designed to incorporate evidence-based therapies in a culturally-relevant format using narratives from Aboriginal people to contextualise the therapeutic content. OBJECTIVE The effectiveness of the WBTP will be tested in a wait-list control, randomised trial across multiple sites in urban, regional and remote locations. METHODS Recruitment will commence in May 2019, and results are expected in early 2021. RESULTS Participants will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 or over who have used methamphetamine at least weekly for the previous three months. They will be recruited online and via health services. During the intervention phase, participants will have access to the WBTP for six weeks with optional telephone or face-to-face support provided by participating health services. The primary outcome measure will be the number of days the participant used methamphetamine over the past four weeks compared to wait-list controls, assessed at baseline, one, two and three months. Secondary outcomes will include help-seeking, readiness to change, severity of dependence and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS The trial of this WBTP builds on existing research supporting the effectiveness of web-based therapies for a range of psychological and other health-related issues including substance use. If successful, the ‘We Can Do this’ WBTP will increase the range of options available to Aboriginal people seeking to reduce or stop methamphetamine use. It may provide a pathway into treatment for people who may otherwise be disengaged with health services for a range of reasons, and will be a culturally-appropriate, evidence-based resource for health practitioners to offer their clients. CLINICALTRIAL The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12619000134123p.

scholarly journals Ngaa-bi-nya Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program evaluation framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Williams
Keyword(s):  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Social Programs ◽  
Cultural Leadership ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

The Ngaa-bi-nya framework presented here is a practical guide for the evaluation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs. It has a range of prompts to stimulate thinking about critical success factors in programs relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives. Ngaa-bi-nya was designed from an Aboriginal practitioner-scholar standpoint and was informed by the holistic concept of Aboriginal health, case studies with Aboriginal-led social and emotional well-being programs, human rights instruments, and the work of Stufflebeam. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs have been described as suffering from a lack of evaluation. Ngaa-bi-nya is one of the few tools developed specifically to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ contexts. It prompts the user to take into account the historical, policy, and social landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives, existing and emerging cultural leadership, and informal caregiving that supports programs. Ngaa-bi-nya’s prompts across four domains—landscape factors, resources, ways of working, and learnings—provide a structure through which to generate insights necessary for the future development of culturally relevant, effective, translatable, and sustainable programs required for Australia’s growing and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

The impact of Aboriginal community controlled health service advocacy on Aboriginal health policy

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Bartlett ◽  
John Boffa
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Strategic Relationships ◽  
The Impact

This paper reviews the advocacy role of Aboriginal community controlled health services (ACCHSs) in the development of Aboriginal health policy over the past 30 years, with a specific focus on the recent changes in Commonwealth funding and administrative responsibility - the transfer of Aboriginal health service funding from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) to the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services (OATSIHS) within the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), and the development of policies aimed at Aboriginal health services accessing mainstream (Medical Benefits Scheme [MBS]) funds. The outcomes of this policy change include a significant increase in funding to Aboriginal primary health care (PHC), the inclusion of ACCHSs in collaborative strategic relationships, and the development of new arrangements involving regional planning and access to per capita funds based on MBS equivalents. However, the community sector remains significantly disadvantaged in participating in this collaborative effort, and imposed bureaucratic processes have resulted in serious delays in releasing funds for actual services in communities. Government agencies need to take greater heed of community advocacy, and provide appropriate resourcing to enable community organisations to better direct government effort, especially at the implementation phase. These remain major concerns and should be considered by non-health sectors in the development of new funding and program development mechanisms in the wake of the abolition of ATSIC.

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