Empowering Voice through the Creation of a Safe space: An experience of Aboriginal Women in Regional Queensland.

Background: Sharing stories creates a space for respectful conversation and contributes to both knowledge and a sense of fellowship. This paper reflects on the experience of the research team in supporting a group of Aboriginal women to create safe spaces and to share their stories of healing, social and emotional wellbeing.

Methods: Secondary data of a study exploring community perceptions about cancer were analysed using the holistic model of Indigenous Wellbeing developed by the Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative (2008).

Tele-Rheumatology to Regional Hospital Outpatient Clinics: Patient Perspectives on a New Model of Care.

Telehealth has the potential to improve access to specialist rheumatology services. The timely and appropriate delivery of care to those living with rheumatological diseases is crucial to ensuring excellent long-term outcomes. The outcomes of a tele-rheumatology service delivered to regional hospital outpatient clinics were evaluated with patient perspectives and acceptability analyzed.

Contemporary Educational Interventions for General Practitioners (GPs) in Primary Care Settings in Australia: A Systematic Literature Review.

The primary purpose of educational interventions is to optimize the clinical management of patients. General practitioners (GPs) play a major role in the detection and management of diseases. This systematic literature review will describe the type and outcomes of educational interventions designed for general practitioners (GPs) in the Australian context.

'We just don't talk about it': Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perceptions of cancer in regional Queensland.

Introduction: Disparities in cancer outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are well reported. Some Australian Indigenous communities' beliefs about cancer may influence health behaviours, support for those with cancer and ,ultimately, treatment outcomes. This project was instigated by request of a cultural adviser from a regional Queensland community and aims to make community perceptions of cancer visible, facilitate development of resources representing these perceptions and briefly evaluate the project from the community's perspective.

Unmet supportive care needs among people with cancer: A cross-cultural comparison between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians.

Objectives: This study describes and compares the unmet supportive care needs between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people with cancer.

Methods: Data from two cross-sectional supportive care needs studies were matched in a 1:1 ratio for Indigenous (n = 125) and Non-Indigenous (n = 125) Australian adults diagnosed with cancer. Descriptive statistics were used to compare type and prevalence of 24 need items measured by the SCNS-SF34 and SCNAT-IP.

Are general practitioners getting the information they need from hospitals and specialists to provide quality cancer care for Indigenous Australians?

Background: Cancer care involves many different healthcare providers. Delayed or inaccurate communication between specialists and general practitioners (GP) may negatively affect care.

Aim: To describe the pattern and variation of communication between primary healthcare (PHC) services and hospitals and specialists in relation to the patient's cancer care.

Patterns of primary health care service use of Indigenous Australians diagnosed with cancer.

Purpose: The role of general practitioners in cancer care has expanded in recent years. However, little is known about utilization of primary health care (PHC) services by patients with cancer, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged groups. We describe utilization of PHC services by patients with cancer, and the nature of the care provided.

"I'm a Survivor": Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Survivors' Perspectives of Cancer Survivorship.

Background: Disparity in outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people after cancer diagnosis is multifactorial, including lower cancer screening participation, later diagnosis, reduced access and uptake of cancer treatment, higher rate of comorbidities, and barriers accessing the health system. Little is known about cancer survivorship experiences.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore Indigenous Australian cancer survivor's perspectives of cancer survivorship.

Community-identified recommendations to enhance cancer survivorship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Indigenous Australians diagnosed with cancer experience higher mortality and lower survival rates compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Reasons are multifaceted and complex. Knowledge about Indigenous cancer survivors' perspectives of positive cancer survivorship is a gap in research evidence.

Exploring Positive Survivorship Experiences of Indigenous Australian Cancer Patients.

Amongst Indigenous Australians, "cancer" has negative connotations that detrimentally impact upon access to cancer care services. Barriers to accessing cancer services amongst Indigenous Australians are widely reported. In contrast, factors that facilitate this cohort to successfully navigate cancer care services ("enablers") are scarcely reported in the literature.

Identification of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Patients in the Primary Health Care Setting.

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have poorer cancer outcomes and experience 30% higher mortality rates compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Primary health care (PHC) services are increasingly being recognized as pivotal in improving Indigenous cancer patient outcomes. It is currently unknown whether patient information systems and practices in PHC settings accurately record Indigenous and cancer status.

The role of the GP in follow-up cancer care: a systematic literature review.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to explore the role of the general practitioners, family physicians and primary care physicians (GP) in the provision of follow-up cancer care.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE and CINAHL were systematically searched for primary research focussing on the role of the GP from the perspective of GPs and patients. Data were extracted using a standardised form and synthesised using a qualitative descriptive approach.

Uptake of influenza vaccination in pregnancy amongst Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: a mixed-methods pilot study.

Background: Influenza infection during pregnancy causes significant morbidity and mortality. Immunisation against influenza is recommended during pregnancy in several countries however, there are limited data on vaccine uptake, and the determinants of vaccination, in pregnant Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Islander women. This study aimed to collect pilot data on vaccine uptake and attitudes towards, and perceptions of, maternal influenza vaccination in this population in order to inform the development of larger studies.

International variations in childhood cancer in indigenous populations: a systematic review.

Although the cancer burden in indigenous children has been reported in some countries, up to now, no international comparison has been made. We therefore aimed to assess the available evidence of the burden of childhood cancer in indigenous populations. We did a systematic review of reports on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in indigenous children worldwide.

How people construct their experience of living with secondary lymphoedema in the context of their everyday lives in Australia.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to explore how men and women construct their experiences living with lymphoedema following treatment for any cancer in the context of everyday life.

Methods: The design and conduct of this qualitative study was guided by Charmaz' social constructivist grounded theory. To collect data, focus groups and telephone interviews were conducted.