Aboriginal Health Worker perceptions of oral health: a qualitative study in Perth, Western Australia

This article outlines the development of accredited Aboriginal Health Worker training in Victoria. The processes of community consultation are presented as the primary reason for the successful implementation of the training program in its first year of delivery. The most important community consultation processes involved the active input of Elders and Aboriginal Health Workers. The training was seen as more credible by other Koorie people because of the input of these groups. The supportive role played by both the State and Commonwealth governments as well as industry groups are also explored. The successful implementation of the Aboriginal Health Worker training program demonstrates that Aboriginal people know what is best for them and can effectively initiate, organise and deliver their own culturally appropriate training programs.

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Lake Mungo

The Aboriginal Child at School ◽

10.1017/s0310582200013729 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 27-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Barry Wright

Keyword(s):

Everyday Life ◽

Health Worker ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Aboriginal Child ◽

South Wales ◽

A Site ◽

Aboriginal Health Worker

Lake Mungo, in New South Wales, is the home of the first known people in this country. Here, the oldest known evidence of Aboriginal people in Australia has been found. Because of its importance, it is a site which everyone should know about. To give us a feeling for Lake Mungo, Billy Reid, the illustrator of The Aboriginal Health Worker and The Aboriginal Child at School, came with me on a trip. We travelled west to the Darling River (whose Aboriginal name is Calewatta), and then south-east to Lake Mungo itself. Billy made wonderful drawings to represent the deeds and everyday life of those people. This can be reconstructed from the fossil evidence found at Lake Mungo. He has also drawn some scenes of life along the banks of the Calewatta - the river which is Billy’s own home. He hails from Bourke.

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Aboriginal health worker screening for sexually transmissible infections and blood-borne viruses in a rural Australian juvenile correctional facility

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh09035 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 44 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

David J. Templeton ◽

Beverley A. Tyson ◽

Joel P. Meharg ◽

Katalin E. Habgood ◽

Patricia M. Bullen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis B ◽

Health Worker ◽

Screening Program ◽

Correctional Facility ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Juvenile Detention ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Sexually Transmissible Infections ◽

Aboriginal Health Worker

Introduction: In Australia, Aboriginal youth are disproportionately represented in juvenile detention centres. We assessed the prevalence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs) identified by an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW)-led screening program delivered to male detainees of a rural juvenile detention centre. Methods: A retrospective review of first screening visit data was performed. Demographic and behavioural data were collected and the prevalence of STI/BBV was assessed. Results: Over a 4-year period to November 2004, 101 screens on new medium-to-long-term detainees were performed. The median age of participants was 17 years (range 14–20) and 87% were Aboriginal. Most reported multiple lifetime sexual partners (mean 14, range 0–60) and a minority had used a condom for the last episode of vaginal intercourse. Injecting drug use and non-professional tattoos or piercings were both reported by over one-third of participants, with over 80% reporting previous incarceration. One-quarter of those screened were newly diagnosed with one or more STI/BBV. The most common infection identified was urethral chlamydia (prevalence 16.3%, 95% confidence interval 10.0–25.5%), although the prevalence of newly diagnosed syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C were each over 5%. Many participants remained susceptible to hepatitis B. Conclusion: An AHW-led STI/BBV screening program identified a large number of asymptomatic and previously undiagnosed infections in this group of young male detainees. Such an education and screening program using skilled Aboriginal staff not affiliated with the correctional system could have a substantial impact on the prevalence of STI/BBV among juvenile detainees.

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The Aboriginal health worker

The Medical Journal of Australia ◽

10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00353.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 184 (10) ◽

pp. 529-530 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Melvina Mitchell ◽

Lynette M Hussey

Keyword(s):

Health Worker ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Aboriginal Health Worker

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Exploring the impact of an Aboriginal Health Worker on hospitalised Aboriginal experiences: lessons from cardiology

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah090549 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 549 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Kate P Taylor ◽

Sandra C Thompson ◽

Marianne M Wood ◽

Mohammed Ali ◽

Lyn Dimer

Keyword(s):

Health Worker ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Hospital Staff ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Culturally Appropriate Care ◽

Job Role ◽

The Impact ◽

Aboriginal Health Worker

To enhance Aboriginal inpatient care and improve outpatient cardiac rehabilitation utilisation, a tertiary hospital in Western Australia recruited an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW). Interviews were undertaken with the cardiology AHW, other hospital staff including another AHW, and recent Aboriginal cardiac patients to assess the impact of this position. The impact of the AHW included facilitating culturally appropriate care, bridging communication divides, reducing discharges against medical advice, providing cultural education, increasing inpatient contact time, improving follow-up practices and enhancing patient referral linkages. Challenges included poor job role definition, clinical restrictions and limitations in AHW training for hospital settings. This study demonstrates that AHWs can have significant impacts on Aboriginal cardiac inpatient experiences and outpatient care. Although this study was undertaken in cardiology, the lessons are transferable across the hospital setting.

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