| Project Objectives / Summary:
The purpose of the project was to promote delivery of more effective integrated primary care to the Mid North Coast Aboriginal community by promoting the utilisation of new EPC items. This was achieved by:
- Employing a suitably qualified Aboriginal Health Liaison Worker to supervise and facilitate the effective introduction and utilisation of EPC items amongst Aboriginal patients, treating GPs, community groups and other health and welfare agencies.
- Encouraging the use of EPC in local GPs surgeries, and the Galambila and Bowraville Aboriginal Health Clinics.
- Developing close working relationships between GPs, Aboriginal Health Educators and the local health services to ensure Aboriginal people are given the opportunity for annual health checks and more comprehensive care.
- Liaising with GPs, key aboriginal community and health groups to develop and disseminate a resource/guideline pamphlet on EPC for Aboriginal People that provides clear explanation with cultural sensitivity according to Aboriginal needs.
- Promoting the use of IM/IT to computerise Aboriginal Health records as a means of providing more effective case management and recall facilities.
- Developing a Memorandum of Understanding with each of the key project stakeholders to reinforce partnership support for the AHL Wand the implementation of the EPC for Aboriginal people project.
Project Collaboration:
A collaborative project involving Galambila and Bowraville Aboriginal Health Clinics, Mid North Coast Area Health Service, OATSIHS and others.
Project Outcomes:
The Division reports that employment of the Aboriginal Health Liaison Worker was a key to achieving high quality consultation and collaboration. Development of MoUs with key stakeholders was another successful outcome.
A major education and promotion effort was involved in this project to ensure that input from both GPs and Aboriginal people was sufficient to ensure that culturally sensitive guidelines for the delivery of EPC were developed.
The Division is very enthusiastic about the uptake of EPC Item Numbers but claims that HIC data undervalues the actual situation. There was very good coverage of GPs as part of the project.
The project also identified barriers to uptake of EPC Item Numbers such as a preference by patients for home assessments, a lack of essential services to follow up on health assessment recommendations, mistrust of 'government initiatives', insufficient allied health services, and a need to reduce the eligible age limit for Aboriginal people to access annual health assessments.
The promotional material for the project was produced through liaison and negotiation and proved to be effective.
Recommendations:
- Commonwealth organisations charged with the primary responsibility for the provision of Aboriginal Health Care consider support for wider implementation of the EPC project model as an effective method of promoting better and more comprehensive health care for Aboriginal People at a local, Regional and National Level
- That a focus be placed on the identification and provision of essential Aboriginal Health and Community Services at the grassroots level to support and drive the effective rollout of EPC initiatives.
- The eligible age limit for EPC Health Assessments for Aboriginal People be lowered in recognition of the current excessive low life expectancy experienced by Aboriginal People.
- A formal education program be implemented in Aboriginal Medical Services to support and encourage Aboriginal Health Workers and GPs to deliver EPC services to Aboriginal people
- More Aboriginal Health Workers be recruited and educated to promote and facilitate the uptake of EPC items amongst GPs, Aboriginal Communities and other health and community groups as a means of providing more integrated and comprehensive health care to Aboriginal People.
- Nationally uniform and accurate data collection, analysis and evaluation tools be introduced to measure the uptake of health assessments, care plans and case conferences for Aboriginal People.
Disseminating Project Information:
- Information placed on Division website
- Development & dissemination of a resource / guideline pamphlet on EPC
- Culturally appropriate guidelines on the delivery of EPC to Aboriginal people were developed and included in an educational brochure distributed to 65 major Aboriginal Health stakeholders within the Divisions boundaries.
- Promotional poster developed in collaboration with Galambila Aboriginal Health Partnership Management Committee and local Aboriginal Health Workers.
- 6 articles were released in local, Regional and National Media outlets including local newspaper articles, the weekly Division Newsletter, Division Bi-monthly newsletter and the Koori Mail.
- National Divisions Forum, November 2001
Lessons / Assessment:
A key element of this project was the emphasis on real and continued involvement of Aboriginal people in all facets of the project.
From a broader policy perspective, the project demonstrated the value of the EPC Item Numbers in the health care of Aboriginal people. The uptake during the conduct of the project is impressive. A strong support network was developed and the Division considers that, with additional funding, the outcomes could be improved further.
There are obvious valuable findings from this project. |
