Quantitative evaluation of an outreach case management model of care for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults living with complex chronic disease: a longitudinal study.

Background: Chronic diseases are the leading contributor to the excess morbidity and mortality burden experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) people, compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The Home-based Outreach case Management of chronic disease Exploratory (HOME) Study provided person-centred, multidisciplinary care for Indigenous people with chronic disease. This model of care, aligned to Indigenous peoples' conceptions of health and wellbeing, was integrated within an urban Indigenous primary health care service.

Knowing our patients: a cross-sectional study of adult patients attending an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare service.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in urban areas, but epidemiological data about their health status and health needs are lacking. This knowledge is critical to informing and evaluating initiatives to improve service delivery and health outcomes. One potential data source is de-identified routinely collected clinical data.

Investigating the feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of outreach case management in an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care service: a mixed methods exploratory study.

Background: The disparities in health and life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared to non-Indigenous Australians are well documented. Chronic diseases are a leading contributor to these disparities. We aimed to determine the feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of a case management approach to chronic disease care integrated within an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care service.

Facilitators and barriers to implementation of a pragmatic clinical trial in Aboriginal health services.

Objective: To identify facilitators and barriers to clinical trial implementation in Aboriginal health services.

Design: Indepth interview study with thematic analysis.

Setting: Six Aboriginal community-controlled health services and one government-run service involved in the Kanyini Guidelines Adherence with the Polypill (KGAP) study, a pragmatic randomised controlled trial that aimed to improve adherence to indicated drug treatments for people at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Implementing computerised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks in primary care for clinical care and research: a process evaluation.

Background: Paper-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks have promoted a preventive approach to primary care and provided data to support research at the Inala Indigenous Health Service, south-west Brisbane, Australia. Concerns about the limitations of paper-based health checks prompted us to change to a computerised system to realise potential benefits for clinical services and research capability. We describe the rationale, implementation and anticipated benefits of computerised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks in one primary health care setting.

Household number associated with middle ear disease at an urban Indigenous health service: a cross-sectional study.

Few epidemiological studies of middle ear disease have been conducted in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, yet the disease is common and causes hearing impairment and poorer educational outcomes. The objective of this study is to identify factors associated with abnormal middle ear appearance, a proxy for middle ear disease. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-14 years receiving a Child Health Check (CHC) at an urban Indigenous Health Service, Brisbane, Australia were recruited from 2007 to 2010.

Retinal photography for diabetic retinopathy screening in Indigenous primary health care: the Inala experience.

Objective: We aimed to determine the impact of clinic based retinal photography on access to appropriate screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Design, Setting And Participants: We opportunistically recruited patients undergoing their annual diabetic cycle of care over a two year period in the urban Indigenous primary health care clinic. Data were collected on retinal outcomes, health variables and referral patterns.

Cardiovascular disease risk management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in primary health care settings: findings from the Kanyini Audit.

Objective: To describe cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management in Indigenous primary health care.

Design, Setting And Participants: Review of 1165 randomly selected case records of Indigenous Australian adults, aged >/= 18 years, regularly attending eight health services in diverse settings in New South Wales, Queensland and Central Australia, October 2007 - May 2008.

Main Outcome Measure: Adherence to CVD risk screening and management guidelines, especially with respect to overall or absolute CVD risk.

Improving Indigenous patients' access to mainstream health services: the Inala experience.

In 1994, only 12 Indigenous people attended the mainstream general practice in Inala, south-western Brisbane, Queensland. An Indigenous community focus group and telephone interviews revealed deficits such as: few items (eg, artwork) that Indigenous people could identify with; lack of Indigenous staff; staff perceived as unfriendly; inflexibility regarding time; and intolerance of Indigenous children's behaviour. Access to the Inala Indigenous Health Service by Indigenous people improved when these issues were addressed, and has grown significantly every year from 1995 to 2008.

Adult health checks for Indigenous Australians: the first year's experience from the Inala Indigenous Health Service.

Objective: To evaluate the role of the adult health check for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-54 years, in an urban Indigenous primary health care setting.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional study of Indigenous patients recruited opportunistically from the Inala Indigenous Health Service between 1 June 2007 and 31 July 2008.

Main Outcome Measures: Newly identified cardiovascular risk factors, investigations ordered and performed, interventions and new diagnoses made.