Publications by authors named "Vicki O'Donnell"

Background: Healthy skin is important for maintaining overall physical and cultural health and wellbeing. However, remote-living Australian Aboriginal children contend with disproportionally high rates of (Strep A) infected impetigo. The SToP Trial was a large stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial of See, Treat, and Prevent (SToP) skin health activities implemented between 2019 and 2022 in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, during which a decrease in impetigo was observed.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a holistic skin control program, SToP, aimed at reducing impetigo among children in remote communities of the Kimberley, Western Australia.
  • The trial involved skin checks, treatment training, and health promotion, targeting children aged 0-18 years in a stepped-wedge randomization process.
  • Results showed a significant decline in impetigo cases, particularly noted during initial baseline skin checks prior to the official intervention, with 85% of consented children receiving at least one skin assessment.
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Precision public healthcare has been applied to bring about positive change, narrowing the gap in healthcare inequity for Aboriginal peoples. Three such examples include the Mappa, Lyfe Languages, and Pilbra Faces projects, which were all developed through engagement and codesign with Indigenous Australians and each meet a distinct critical need. The Mappa project offers patients and healthcare providers with the necessary geographical information to navigate and maximally utilize available healthcare services.

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Issues Addressed: In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote settings are most-affected by young onset type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is necessary to understand young people's experiences, including factors impacting on self-management, to improve models of care.

Methods: A phenomenological methodology underpinned this qualitative study in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A mixed-methods, co-design approach will involve young people with diabetes, their families, and health professionals to develop and improve care models, including guidelines, support networks, and training for healthcare providers.
  • * The study has received ethical approval and aims to produce valuable insights and practices for enhancing diabetes care that are both age-appropriate and culturally sensitive.
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Introduction: Skin is important in Australian Aboriginal culture informing kinship and identity. In many remote Aboriginal communities, scabies and impetigo are very common. Untreated skin infections are painful, itchy and frequently go untreated due to under-recognition and lack of awareness of their potential serious complications.

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Objectives: To describe service characteristics of Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS) and document diabetes management activities and intermediate clinical outcomes for Aboriginal patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design, Setting And Patients: Retrospective audit of records for patients ≥ 15 years old who had a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, received primary health care from DAHS for at least 6 continuous months between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2009, resided in the Derby area and were not on renal replacement therapy.

Main Outcome Measures: Electronic records of blood pressure (BP), glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) level, weight, albumin-creatinine ratio, creatinine level or estimated glomerular filtration rate, lipid levels and smoking status during each audit year; and proportions of patients who met clinical targets for HbA(1c), BP and cholesterol.

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