Involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in primary health services – InSight+

Providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth with accessible, culturally safe health care is critical to improving the future health of Indigenous Australians.

View published on Medical Journal of Australia found that 80% of excess deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth could be prevented within the current health system.

Stephen Harfield and co-authors describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth as a strong and resilient group, but note that this life stage is when the gap in morbidity and mortality widens between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. Strait Islander and non-Indigenous youth.

Stephen is a Narungga and Ngarrindjeri man from South Australia, and a Senior Research Fellow with the University of Queensland’s Institute for Indigenous Health and a PhD in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland.

“These diseases are preventable or treatable within the current health care system given timely and effective health care,” Stephen and colleagues wrote.

“This suggests that within the current health care system, there are many opportunities to intervene and for health gains, and to improve the health and well-being of in the future.”

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people need high quality health care that meets their health and wellness needs. This can be achieved by designing and implementing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth model of primary health care.”

A model of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

The authors of the opinion outlined a number of initiatives that should be implemented in an effective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth primary health care system.

First, young people, their families and communities must be involved in the planning and delivery of their primary health care.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people have a fundamental right to participate in the planning and delivery of services and decisions about their health care,” the authors wrote.

“The principles of integrating health services with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people include Indigenous leadership, a culture-based approach, respect, community benefits, inclusive collaboration, and transparency and evaluation.”

Secondly, the authors note that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people must have access to culturally safe and non-discriminatory primary health care, and this can be achieved by increasing the number of health professionals. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in all occupations and primary health care sectors.

“Evidence shows that health care provided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals is more culturally appropriate and meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than health professionals who are non-native,” the authors wrote.

Strengthening basic health services

Health care workers in general also need to improve their skills when it comes to providing culturally safe health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

For example, the National health screening guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplerecommends screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in sexually active people under the age of 30, but less than a quarter of health trials include these tests.

“Problems related to time, ability level, comfort with topics, and not knowing how to respond may be reasons for not participating,” the authors wrote.

Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-managed health services is also important to developing a young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander model of primary health care.

“Health services managed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are a good example of providing culturally safe, inclusive and comprehensive primary care, while reducing or eliminating social practices that prevent access to basic health care,” the authors wrote.

“However, all primary health care services must deliberately focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and use a model of care that enables care that is accessible and based on what we know that it works.”

Investing in the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

By following these themes, the authors hope that primary health care can become a culturally safe space, free of racism and discrimination, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth can thrive.

“It is through these actions and investments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth that we will be able to tackle the current burden of disease, and intervene and reverse the future risks of communicable and non-communicable diseases,” the authors wrote.

“It is an investment in the future health of current and future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Read the book seriousness in the Medical Journal of Australia.

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