AI Article Synopsis

  • - Aboriginal Australians experience healthcare disparities, with hospitalisation rates significantly higher than non-Indigenous Australians, compounded by out-of-pocket healthcare expenses (OOPHE), especially for those in remote areas.
  • - The study used community networks and qualitative methods to explore the experiences of rurally based Aboriginal individuals, identifying seven themes around OOPHE, including financial strain and barriers to healthcare access.
  • - Findings suggest that while government initiatives aim to alleviate these costs, they often fall short, and that cultural connections can help mitigate the burden, highlighting the need for radical changes in policy and healthcare awareness.

Article Abstract

Introduction: Aboriginal Australians face significant health disparities, with hospitalisation rates 2.3 times greater, and longer hospital length of stay, than non-Indigenous Australians. This additional burden impacts families further through out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure (OOPHE), which includes additional healthcare expenses not covered by universal taxpayer insurance. Aboriginal patients traveling from remote locations are likely to be impacted further by OOPHE. The objective of this study was to examine the impacts and burden of OOPHE for rurally based Aboriginal individuals.

Methods: Participants were recruited through South Australian community networks to participate in this study. Decolonising methods of yarning and deep listening were used to centralise local narratives and language of OOPHE. Qualitative analysis software was used to thematically code transcripts and organise data.

Results: A total of seven yarning sessions were conducted with 10 participants. Seven themes were identified: travel, barriers to health care, personal and social loss, restricted autonomy, financial strain, support initiatives and protective factors. Sleeping rough, selling assets and not attending appointments were used to mitigate or avoid OOPHE. Government initiatives, such as the patient assistance transport scheme, did little to decrease OOPHE burden on participants. Family connections, Indigenous knowledges and engagement with cultural practices were protective against OOPHE burden.

Conclusion: Aboriginal families are significantly burdened by OOPHE when needing to travel for health care. Radical change of government initiative and policies through to health professional awareness is needed to ensure equitable healthcare access that does not create additional financial hardship in communities already experiencing economic disadvantage.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.22605/RRH8328DOI Listing

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