The impact of telehealth on patient attendance and revenue within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation during COVID-19

A Masterclass Program was developed to strengthen the research capacity of staff within Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and featured three Masterclasses delivered across Australia, including Understanding Research, Undertaking Research and Research Evaluation. A mixed-method process and impact evaluation of the Masterclass Program was undertaken. The process evaluation examined the reach of the Program and the impact evaluation comprised an online survey (n=45) and semi-structured interviews (n=21) with Masterclass participants. During 2014–17, 27 Masterclasses were delivered to 260 people, including predominantly ACCHO personnel but also Indigenous doctors and research institute staff who work closely with the ACCHO sector. Most survey respondents felt the Masterclasses improved their understanding of research and their willingness to participate in and undertake research. The qualitative analysis confirmed this and suggested that Masterclasses were implemented in a supportive learning environment which led to increased research capacity (increased research awareness, changed perceptions, increased understanding, critical thinking and new confidence) and ultimately enhanced research engagement (willingness to participate, motivating others, empowered critique of research partners and proposals, interest in further research training). Barriers to research engagement and areas for improvement of the Masterclass Program before, during and after Masterclasses were also identified.

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Universality

International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies ◽

10.5204/ijcis.v3i1.55 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 15-25

Author(s):

Irene Watson

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Social Justice ◽

Court Decisions ◽

Colonial History ◽

Aboriginal Community ◽

Aboriginal Culture ◽

Court Proceedings ◽

Aboriginal Law ◽

Mainstream Society ◽

The Impact

This article explores the problem of universality and the historical exclusion and translation of Aboriginal perspectives within the context of human rights and social justice. Opinions based upon Aboriginal world views have been largely excluded from Australian mainstream society, and are generally absent for example in court decisions which refer to Aboriginal law, culture, and Aboriginality. In some instances anthropological evidence is given during court proceedings, but that evidence is still treated by Euro-centric perceptions. Translation is sometimes attempted, but it occurs across the expanse of a colonial history and as if Aboriginal culture was embedded and unaffected by the workings of colonialism. In the light of this, there is a need for an analysis of the impact of colonialism and its entrenched powers. But questions arise: to what extent can effective translations occur? How might they be determined, and what might they mean? And it is sure that the exclusion of Aboriginal community voices negates the possibility or capacity for any reliable translation of Aboriginal perspectives.

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The community network: an Aboriginal community football club bringing people together

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py14051 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 356 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Alister Thorpe ◽

Wendy Anders ◽

Kevin Rowley

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Aboriginal Community ◽

Sports Teams ◽

Football Club ◽

The Social ◽

Physical Wellbeing ◽

Barriers And Motivators ◽

The Impact

There are few empirical studies about the role of Aboriginal sporting organisations in promoting wellbeing. The aim of the present study was to understand the impact of an Aboriginal community sporting team and its environment on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of young Aboriginal men, and to identify barriers and motivators for participation. A literature review of the impact of sport on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal participants was conducted. This informed a qualitative study design with a grounded theory approach. Four semistructured interviews and three focus groups were completed with nine current players and five past players of the Fitzroy Stars Football Club to collect data about the social, emotional and physical wellbeing impact of an Aboriginal football team on its Aboriginal players. Results of the interviews were consistent with the literature, with common concepts emerging around community connection, cultural values and identity, health, values, racism and discrimination. However, the interviews provided further detail around the significance of cultural values and community connection for Aboriginal people. The complex nature of social connections and the strength of Aboriginal community networks in sports settings were also evident. Social reasons were just as important as individual health reasons for participation. Social and community connection is an important mechanism for maintaining and strengthening cultural values and identity. Barriers and motivators for participation in Aboriginal sports teams can be complex and interrelated. Aboriginal sports teams have the potential to have a profound impact on the health of Aboriginal people, especially its players, by fostering a safe and culturally strengthening environment and encompassing a significant positive social hub for the Aboriginal community.

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Extending the liaison psychiatry service in a large hospital in the UK: a before and after evaluation of the economic impact and patient care following ED attendances for self-harm

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016906 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. e016906 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Brent C Opmeer ◽

William Hollingworth ◽

Elsa M R Marques ◽

Ruta Margelyte ◽

David Gunnell

Keyword(s):

Working Hours ◽

Psychosocial Assessment ◽

Favourable Effect ◽

Liaison Psychiatry ◽

Large Hospital ◽

Before And After ◽

Self Harm ◽

Mean Cost ◽

The Impact ◽

Patient Attendance

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of an expansion of liaison psychiatry services (LPS) on patient management, outcomes and treatment costs for emergency department (ED) attendances for self-harm.DesignRetrospective before and after cohort study using routinely collected Self-Harm Surveillance Register data.SettingA large hospital in South West England.SubjectsPatients attending the ED for self-harm.InterventionsExtension of the LPS’ working hours from 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday to 8:00 to 22:00, 7 days a week, following a £250 000 annual investmentMain outcome measuresNumber and characteristics of ED attendances for self-harm. The before and after cohorts were compared in terms of key process measures, including proportion of patients receiving a psychosocial assessment, average length of hospital stay, waiting times for assessment, proportion of patients who self-discharged without an assessment, levels of repeat self-harm attendances and mean cost per patient attendance.Results298 patients attended ED for self-harm on 373 occasions between January and March 2014, and 318 patients attended on 381 occasions between January and March 2015. The proportion of ED attendances where patients received a psychosocial assessment increased from 57% to 68% (p=0.003), median waiting time decreased by 3 hours and 14 min (p=0.017), and the proportion of episodes where patients self-discharged without a psychosocial assessment decreased from 20% to 13% (p=0.022). The mean cost per patient attendance was marginally lower after the intervention (−£84; 95% CI −£254 to £77).ConclusionsThe extended LPS seems to have had a favourable effect on the management and outcomes of self-harm patients. The cost of extending the LPS’ working hours might be partially offset by more efficient assessment and discharge. The impact of the extended LPS on the care of hospitalised patients with mental health problems other than self-harm requires further evaluation.

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The Impact of Ramadan on Patient Attendance Patterns in an Emergency Department at a Tertiary Care Center in Beirut, Lebanon

Journal of Emergency Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.06.039 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (5) ◽

pp. 720-725

Author(s):

Rana Saleh ◽

Maha Makki ◽

Hani Tamim ◽

Eveline Hitti

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Care Center ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Tertiary Care Center ◽

Attendance Patterns ◽

The Impact ◽

Patient Attendance

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Evaluation of the Cradle to Kinder programme for Aboriginal mothers and their children: perspectives from the women and their workers

Children Australia ◽

10.1017/cha.2020.40 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 305-311

Author(s):

Renée O’Donnell ◽

Muriel Bamblett ◽

Gabrielle Johnson ◽

Sue-Anne Hunter ◽

Kerry Stringer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Child Protection ◽

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Home Visiting ◽

Well Being ◽

Parenting Skills ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Aboriginal Community ◽

Connection System ◽

Generous Contribution ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis research was undertaken on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to Elders of the past, present and emerging, and also acknowledge the generous contribution to this research made by women and their families and Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) staff. Aboriginal Cradle to Kinder (AC2K) is a home-visiting and advocacy programme focussed on promoting Aboriginal maternal and child health during both pre- and postnatal stages of parenthood which was delivered by VACCA, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation. While there have been some feasibility assessments conducted on AC2K, no study to date has evaluated the impact of this programme from the perspective of neither the women nor the staff who deliver the programme. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate how both the women and the staff evaluated the AC2K programme, namely the strengths, limitations and recommendations of the programme. Through consultation with VACCA, this study used a qualitative approach using interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the processes underpinning the programme coupled with participants’ experiences of the programme. A co-design process was used in the development of interview questions, and a total of seven women and six workers participated in semi-structured interviews. The results revealed three superordinate themes across both participant groups: cultural connection (i.e. how well the programme facilitates cultural connection), system complexities (i.e. caseloads, staff turnover and child protection [CP] difficulties) and programme features (i.e. parenting enhancement and unique programme benefits). The processes, and the programme more broadly, were evaluated positively by both the women and staff who supported its delivery. Specifically, a greater connection to culture, increased parenting skills and unique programme benefits were reported. However, there were recommendations on how the programme could be further strengthened, including negotiable caseloads with the Department and improved partnership with CP. These changes can help to further improve the experiences of both the women and their workers when engaging in Aboriginal specific maternal health and well-being supports.

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