J. Coombes, K. Bennett-Brook, K. Hunter, T. Mackean, E. Litton, J. Affandi, C. Ryder, B. Porykali, Brea Grant, K. Yakubu, Colin Garlett, Camila A. Kairuz Santos
{"title":"Exploring the Experiences of the Consent Process for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Having Cardiac Surgery and Participating in Medical Research: A Study Protocol","authors":"J. Coombes, K. Bennett-Brook, K. Hunter, T. Mackean, E. Litton, J. Affandi, C. Ryder, B. Porykali, Brea Grant, K. Yakubu, Colin Garlett, Camila A. Kairuz Santos","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v4n2.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v4n2.7","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Gaining informed consent is a critical step before any medical procedure, and before taking part in medical research. Cultural differences in concepts of health and healing, communication, language, and racism, can play a part in forming barriers to gaining informed consent for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a lack of informed consent can worsen distrust and contribute to continuing health disparities. This protocol describes a study aimed at providing a better understanding of informed consent experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undergoing heart surgery and participating in research. This will be complemented by comparing those experiences to the ones of the clinicians and researchers who obtain informed consent from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Methods: The study will be conducted at the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia and Townsville University Hospital in Queensland. Participants will include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients undergoing cardiac surgery, clinicians of the cardiothoracic surgery team and medical researchers at both hospitals. Yarning will be used as an Indigenous research method to collect meaningful data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undergoing cardiac surgery whilst semi-structured interviews will be conducted to explore Clinician’s and researchers’ experiences. Data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participant will be analysed following a cyclical approach to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are not lost during data interpretation. Inductive thematic analysis of data will be conducted to yield practical recommendations. Conclusions: We present the protocol of a study that will inform the development of strategies to ensure that informed consent processes are culturally appropriate and guarantee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s right to self-determination. This will contribute to the provision of culturally safe healthcare services and promote the conduct of medical research that is ethical, safe and benefits Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"12 1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116064484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Tracy, Bradley Freeburn, Kylie Lee, J. Woods, K. Conigrave
{"title":"Review of alcohol and drug treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples","authors":"M. Tracy, Bradley Freeburn, Kylie Lee, J. Woods, K. Conigrave","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v4n1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v4n1.1","url":null,"abstract":"This review provides an overview of treatments for problem alcohol and other drug (AOD) use for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes information on the available research and discusses core principles for providing treatment. The review outlines how effective mainstream treatment approaches can be adapted to be more suitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being or worldview. It also highlights that services, such as those offered by Aboriginal community controlled health organisations are in a unique position to offer culturally secure treatment approaches. The barriers to accessing treatment are discussed as well as recommendations for future strategic directions in service delivery such as collaboration and two-way learning. This review is part of a suite of knowledge exchange products that includes a summary, video, and factsheet.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124207893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veronica R Collins, Tamara J Swann, Jane Burns, Tim H. Moss, Mick Adams
{"title":"Review of sexual health issues linked with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males","authors":"Veronica R Collins, Tamara J Swann, Jane Burns, Tim H. Moss, Mick Adams","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v2n2.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v2n2.1","url":null,"abstract":"There are well established links between male sexual health conditions and chronic disease, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Erectile dysfunction (ED) and low testosterone are two sexual health conditions that are relatively common among the wider male population. However, there is a lack of data specifically about these sexual problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males. One of the most important findings of research regarding the links between sexual health and chronic disease is that ED can be a risk marker for future CVD or undiagnosed T2DM. Understanding these links can lead to more holistic health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males, including the benefits of earlier diagnosis and treatment. Raising awareness of these issues and creating safe spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males to talk about sexual health may also prevent some from suffering in silence with a sexual problem.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"166 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114248782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What Works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men? A Systematic Review of the Literature","authors":"Jack Menges, M. Caltabiano, A. Clough","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v4n2.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v4n2.5","url":null,"abstract":"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men experience significantly higher rates of suicide, trauma, alcohol related deaths and unemployment than other Australian men. Despite significant levels of government intervention, rates of family violence, unemployment and incarceration continue to increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As a subset of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, there has been a lesser focus on how to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. This systematic review seeks to understand what interventions, programs and activities are successful in improving the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and thereby the wellbeing of their communities. A thorough search of the literature was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the programs, activities and interventions evaluated in these studies indicated two prominent themes that were successful in improving the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men: strengthening identity and increasing social connection. The mechanisms contributing to these outcomes are discussed, as are implications for policy and future research.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125265747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Rissel, L. Liddle, C. Ryder, Annabelle M. Wilson, Madeleine Bower, Barbara Richards
{"title":"Impact Evaluation of a Central Australian Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training Program for Health Professionals and Students","authors":"C. Rissel, L. Liddle, C. Ryder, Annabelle M. Wilson, Madeleine Bower, Barbara Richards","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v3n4.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v3n4.4","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the impact of a Central Australian cultural awareness training program for health care staff. A mixed methods approach was used. Program participants completed a baseline and post-program questionnaire, which included an attitude scale assessing cultural safety, critical thinking and transformative unlearning, and open-ended questions. An online follow-up survey two months later repeated these questions. Mean scale scores were compared using paired and unpaired t-tests. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. Baseline scale mean was 45.7. At post-program it had statistically significantly increased to 47.3, using both the paired (p<0.01) and unpaired t-test (p=<0.03). By the time of the two-month follow-up it had decreased to 42.2. This was not statistically different from the baseline score with a paired (n=11) t-test (p=<0.37), however the difference was statistically significant with an unpaired t-test (p=<0.01) which included an additional eight respondents. Qualitative feedback was consistently positive. Many respondents learnt new information about the negative effects of colonisation on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and how this continues to affect current health. Learning about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures, kinship relationships and systems, and communication styles was identified as directly relevant to work practices. A cultural education program produced positive short-term changes in attitudes and was highly valued by participants. However, it is unclear if these changes are maintained in the medium-term.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116560385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘Missing the Target’ – A Critical Examination of Policy Frameworks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inclusion into the Allied Health Professions","authors":"Andrea Y. Simpson, Tim Pitman","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v2n3.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v2n3.4","url":null,"abstract":"Objective This paper focuses on critically examining the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in policy frameworks by regulatory health peak bodies against the backdrop of the Government’s response to the Closing the Gap (2020) report. Method Websites of ten allied health professional bodies were searched and analysed as policy as text. Results Of the ten professions examined, the search strategy identified 9 professions were signatories or co-signatories on Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP) and three professions made mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander equity strategies to enter the profession as part of accreditation standards. Conclusions Professional bodies were found to use discourses of recognition in the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with reference to the development of measurable accountabilities in the future. Implications The contested value of setting targets to generate meaningful action by policy players is likely to restrict momentum in this space.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121083776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Tucker, M. Symons, E. Clifton, M. Ramírez, James P Fitzpatrick, R. Walker, Glenn Pearson, M. Gray, G. Kirby, N. McBride
{"title":"Assessing The Validity Of A Culturally Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire For Use In Aboriginal Communities.","authors":"David Tucker, M. Symons, E. Clifton, M. Ramírez, James P Fitzpatrick, R. Walker, Glenn Pearson, M. Gray, G. Kirby, N. McBride","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v3n4.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v3n4.3","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Alcohol related harms disproportionately affect Aboriginal people in Australia. Motives to drink have been identified as the most proximal factor to alcohol consumption. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the validity of a culturally modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) (Cooper, 1994) with Aboriginal participants. Design: The study was cross sectional, utilising data collected via face-to-face surveys with a sample of adult Aboriginal participants. Participants: A convenience sample of 135 Aboriginal men (n=41) and women (n=94) from the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, who had consumed alcohol in the preceding 12 months. Outcome Measures: The Culturally modified DMQ-R (CDMQ-R) developed in consultation with Aboriginal community researchers and a local Aboriginal Community Reference Group was the primary outcome measure for this study. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated the four-factor model of drinking motives as measured by a culturally modified DMQ-R was valid for use with Aboriginal people of the Pilbara region. Conclusions: While most items loaded on the factor solution as hypothesised, there were some minor discrepancies which suggest further modification may be needed. In addition, the reduction of the original five-point scale to a three-point scale created statistical challenges. Future research might seek to further refine the DMQ-R for this population and determine an appropriate method for expanding the response scale incorporating advice from Aboriginal people.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114309539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aboriginal Health Consumers Experiences of an Aboriginal Health Curriculum Framework","authors":"Petah Atkinson, M. Baird, K. Adams","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v2n3.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v2n3.3","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction In settler colonised countries medical education is situated in colonist informed health systems. This form of colonisation is characterised by overt racism and contributes to the significant health inequities experienced by Indigenous peoples. Not surprisingly, medical accreditation bodies in these countries have mandated the curriculum include content relating to Indigenous peoples. However, what is absent is the Indigenous health consumer worldview of health care and their nuanced lived experience of the delivery of medical care. Methods Yarning methods, integral to Aboriginal peoples’ ways of understanding and learning, were utilised. A Yarning guide was constructed with Social Yarn and Research Topic Yarn questions to understand Aboriginal health consumer experiences of the five learning domains within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis. Results Seventeen Aboriginal adults from urban and rural areas participated in the Yarns during 2018 and 2019. Coding and mapping data identified medical practitioner enacting practices that either perpetuated racism and the settler colonial ideology or facilitated anti-racist health care. Unwanted care included three racism themes described as the practitioner perpetuating and being unresponsive to racism; assimilation and an inability to consider impacts of settler colonialism. Desired care included four anti-racist themes expressed as responsiveness to racism and settler colonialism; advocating within the settler colonial health system; engaging with diversity of Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing and lifelong learning and reflection. Conclusion Medical practitioners are promoting ill health through racist practices with Aboriginal health consumers. Aboriginal people’s experiences of racism via continued settler colonial processes and anti-racism in the Australian health system, are critical to meaningful curricula. However, there is a risk for tokenism if the academy continues its coloniality by privileging the biomedical model of illness and health over other models of health.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131426172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annabelle M. Wilson, T. Mackean, L. Withall, E. Willis, O. Pearson, Colleen Hayes, K. O'Donnell, Janet Kelly, Kerry Taylor, Judith Dwyer, Eliza C Bourke, K. Hunter, L. Murakami-Gold, R. Ivers, F. Baum
{"title":"Protocols for an Aboriginal-led, Multi-methods Study of the Role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, Practitioners and Liaison Officers in Quality Acute Health Care","authors":"Annabelle M. Wilson, T. Mackean, L. Withall, E. Willis, O. Pearson, Colleen Hayes, K. O'Donnell, Janet Kelly, Kerry Taylor, Judith Dwyer, Eliza C Bourke, K. Hunter, L. Murakami-Gold, R. Ivers, F. Baum","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v3n1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v3n1.2","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers play an important, often critical role providing advocacy and cultural and emotional support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. The main goals of this research are to explore i) how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers are integrated in the routine delivery of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in hospital, and ii) how the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers facilitates quality health outcomes. Methods This study is being conducted in three different hospitals using a multi-method approach including: yarning and Dadirri, patient journey mapping, survey and semi-structured interviews. Ethics approval has been provided from four ethics committees covering the three project sites in Australia (Adelaide, South Australia; Sydney, New South Wales and Alice Springs, Northern Territory). Significance This study uses innovative methodology founded on the privileging of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges to collect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and understand patient journeys within acute health care systems. This project is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and guided by the Project Steering Committee comprised of stakeholders. Implications There is limited research that explores quality acute care processes and the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners work within health care teams. This research will make a valuable contribution to understanding how hospital services can achieve quality acute health care experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"32 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132080091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Coombes, Patricia Cullen, K. Bennett-Brook, Marlene Longbottom, T. Mackean, Belinda Field, V. Parry
{"title":"Culturally Safe and Integrated Primary Health Care: A Case Study of Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Services’ Holistic Model","authors":"J. Coombes, Patricia Cullen, K. Bennett-Brook, Marlene Longbottom, T. Mackean, Belinda Field, V. Parry","doi":"10.14221/aihjournal.v3n1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14221/aihjournal.v3n1.5","url":null,"abstract":"Objective To understand the importance of culturally safe integrated primary health care for Aboriginal families in the Central Coast of New South Wales, where their social and emotional wellbeing is impacted through a range of health issues related to domestic and family violence. Methods An Indigenous methodology of yarning through conversational semi-structured interviews with seven primary health care workers at Yerin, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) in New South Wales. Yarning sessions explored factors that enable and/or inhibit the provision of holistic and comprehensive trauma and culturally informed responses to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who experience violence. Results Five key themes were identified: 1) The importance of integrated primary health to support women and families; 2) Soft entry pathways; 3) Culturally safe care delivered by health workers experienced in trauma informed care; 4) Community partnerships; and 5) Funding sustainable programs that are community led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Lessons Learned Culturally safe and trauma informed and responsive care that is integrated within primary health care is important in comprehensively meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who experience domestic and family violence. The provision of soft entry pathways creates rapport and trust through an integrated team approach, highlighting the importance of more holistic service provision focusing on recovery and healing.","PeriodicalId":263246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134058164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}