Health professionals' views on Indigenous Health and the delivery of healthcare services in the Pilbara.

Conclusion Educational initiatives need to be prioritised to improve the health of Australian Indigenous people in the Pilbara and the initiatives should be delivered with the involvement of the local community in order to increase the likelihood of sustained behavioural change. Innovative solutions are required to improve the continuity of healthcare in the Pilbara, including increased use of mobile services. What is known about this topic? About two out of every three Indigenous adults in the Pilbara experience a chronic health condition. Moreover, compared with non-Indigenous peoples in the region, Indigenous peoples experience a significantly higher mortality rate for numerous chronic health conditions. Although some information is available about the provision of health services for Indigenous people in the Pilbara, little is known about its adequacy or how it could be most effectively delivered. What does this paper add? This study details health professionals' views about the types of health conditions that need to be prioritised in addressing the health needs of Indigenous people in the Pilbara. It also details health professionals' perceptions of gaps in health service delivery for Indigenous people in the Pilbara and examines how these services could be most effectively delivered. What are the implications for practitioners? Educational initiatives need to be prioritised to improve the health of Australian Indigenous people in the Pilbara and the initiatives should ...
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research