Improving the identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in mainstream general practice

In December 2007 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) committed to inter-jurisdictional cooperation in the reform of Indigenous Australians’ health and wellbeing – the ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative in Indigenous disadvantage. This involves setting targets to close the life expectancy gap within a generation (by 2030) and to halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five years of age within a decade (by 2018). Ensuring optimal uptake of these new measures will require improving identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at mainstream general practices.

The project aim was to identify promising strategies to improve identification processes in mainstream general practice. To achieve this aim, the project explored three primary research questions. 

  • What strategies to improve the identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in mainstream general practice have been trialled before and what is worth trialling (feasible and acceptable) in the future?
  • How can mainstream general practice be encouraged to improve identification processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
  • What are the links between improved identification and quality of care?

Partnerships

  • Margaret Kelaher
  • Amy Parry
  • Susan Day
  • Yin Paradies
  • Jenny Lawlor
  • Lexine Solomon