Strategies to improve indigenous access for urban and regional populations to health services

Abstract

Lack of appropriate health service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people still remains and important social determinant of ill health. Historically, health services have been absent or inappropriate. Cultural factors, financial factors and distance from health services have been important barriers limiting Indigenous access to mainstream health services. The Inala Indigenous Health Service, a mainstream health service has been able to improve Indigenous access from 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in 1995 to 4000 patients in 2009, and approximately 1200 doctor consultations each month. Community consultation and participation were the main ingredients to improving indigenous access to the service. With improved access the Inala Indigenous Health Service has been able to analyse 413 Adult Health Checks aged 15-54 years. The Adult Health Checks provide an opportunity to evaluate health status, identifying chronic disease risk factors and for implementing preventive care. The Inala Indigenous Health Service has access to the Healthy for Life Program, a Commonwealth funded quality improvement program that has improved health outcomes for patients over the past three years. All primary health care services working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health settings should have access to funded continuous quality improvement activities.