The benefits of conducting the health check
Summary of the Health status of Aboriginal people
Source: Australian Indigenous Health infonet
Indigenous people remain the least healthy sub-population in Australia, even though there have been improvements in a number of areas in recent years and there appears to have been some slight reductions in mortality.
The reasons why the health status of Indigenous people remains much worse than that of non-Indigenous people are complex, but represent a combination of general factors – such as education, employment, income and socioeconomic status – and factors more specific to the health sector. As the Australian health ministers noted in their introduction to the 2003 National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, achievement of substantial improvements in Indigenous health will depend on long-term collaborative approaches involving Indigenous leaders and communities, the health and non-health sectors, and all levels of government.
Within the health sector, there is a need for further improvement in: health advancement programs; identification of health conditions before they become serious; and substantial expansion of primary health care services.
Aim of the health checks
The aim of the health checks is to help ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis and intervention for common and treatable conditions that cause considerable morbidity and early mortality.
A health check includes an assessment of the patient's health and their physical, psychological and social wellbeing. It also assesses what preventative health care, education and other assistance should be offered to the patient to improve their health and wellbeing. (Source: Australian Dept of Health and Ageing)
How do I know if a person is aboriginal?
For the purpose of conducting the health checks, a person is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person if they, or their parent or carer, identify them as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Do not assume someone is or isn't Aboriginal simply by the colour of their skin, you need to ask all your patients.
Encourage the parents to book for a health check when they bring in their child for a consultation
Children are very important in all cultures and the aboriginal culture is no different. If you find parents are bringing their children in for a consultation why not take the opportunity to ask them to come back so you can conduct a health assessment for both the caregiver and the child/children.
Explain that the health check is important in keeping them well
In order to help your patients understand why conducting the health check is necessary it will be important to explain that the health check is a way to help keep them well or get assistance early if any health issues are raised. Encourage the patient to discuss with other family members the benefits of a regular health check.
Consider conducting the health checks in a home visit format
While this will not suit all practices, it is possible to conduct the health checks in the home. The benefits of conducting the checks in this format are many and varied including being able to discuss diet in relation to what is currently available at home, being able to see how the person is coping at home (particularly for older persons) and potentially being able to conduct several health checks in a single visit. Often transport is a major barrier for aboriginal people in terms of accessing health care so conducting a home visit is an easy way of removing that barrier.
Think outside the square
It might be useful to consider other places where you can access your aboriginal patients as a group rather than waiting for them to come to you. Do you have several patients attending a local pre-school or school? If so, maybe you could consider asking those facilities to gain consent from the parents/guardians for you to conduct the health checks at that venue. Perhaps you could get in touch with the local football club and see about conducting checks for the team? The possibilities are endless, but the main point here is it will be difficult to close the gap in terms of health inequalities unless we start thinking outside the square.
You have now completed Topic 2. When you are ready please continue to Topic 3.