2012
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (2012)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice registration standards.
Canberra: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia
Hudson S (2012)
Charlatan training: how Aboriginal health workers are being short-changed.
St Leonards, NSW: Centre for Independent Studies
In this report, the author discusses the issue of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers (AHWs) in Australia being 'short changed'. The report states that AHWs have not been given enough training to adequately perform their roles; are undervalued, under paid, and overburdened with difficult health issues; and still do not have clearly defined roles and support.
The AHW workforce has been declining in recent years and the author suggests that to improve this, training for AHWs could be broken into three broad categories: clinical care or primary care, community care or community service, and cultural brokerage.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Passey ME, D'Este CA, Sanson-Fisher RW (2012)
Knowledge, attitudes and other factors associated with assessment of tobacco smoking among pregnant Aboriginal women by health care providers: a cross-sectional survey.
BMC Public Health; 12: 165
Retrieved 7 March 2012 from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-12-165.pdf
Roche AM, Duraisingam V, Trifonoff A, Tovell A (2012)
The health and well-being of Indigenous drug and alcohol workers: results from a national Australian survey.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment; In press(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2012.01.009):
Simmons K, Rotumah V, Cookson M, Grigg D (2012)
Child hearing health coordinators tackle ear and hearing health in the NT.
The Chronicle; 23(1): 22-23
2011
Australian Department of Health and Ageing (2011)
Guidelines for eye health teams for rural Australia – expansion of the medical specialist outreach assistance program.
Canberra: Australian Department of Health and Ageing
This document outlines key descriptors of the national Eye health teams for rural Australia expansion of the medical specialist outreach assistance program (Eye health expansion, MSOAP), for the period 2010-11 to 2013-14. The guidelines detail the following:
- aims and objectives
- funding allocated
- eligibility criteria
- services to be provided
- supported health professionals and expenses
- roles of the participating organisations
- program operation
- strategic plan
- reporting requirements
- related programs that may provide complimentary services.
The guidelines provide useful information for all participants of the Eye health expansion as well as organisations and individuals relevant to the implementation of the program, including: the Department of Health and Ageing - central and state/territory offices, Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO), the Indigenous and Remote Eye Health Service (IRIS) Taskforce of the ASO, the National MSOAP Eye Health Committee, state/territory health agencies and networks, eye health professionals, Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Medical Services; and Regional Eye Health Coordinators. The Eye health expansion guidelines also include details on where to go for additional information.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework 2010: detailed analyses.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Bryant RB (2011)
How can nursing and midwifery help close the gap in Indigenous health indicators?.
Contemporary Nurse; 37(1): 8-9
Butt J, Wilkes ET, Gray D (2011)
The preliminary validity and utility of assessing staff attitudes to working with cannabis related harms in Indigenous primary health care settings.
Drug and Alcohol Review; 30(s1): 16-19
Carson D, McConnel F (2011)
Indigenous health and community services employment in remote Northern Territory: a baseline examination of 2006 and 2001 census data.
Australian Journal of Rural Health; 19(5): 255-258
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service (2011)
Yarning together! It’s about yarning with bub..
Perth, WA: Department of Health, Western Australia
This book talks about different ways parents and carers can interact with their babies (6 weeks to 4 months old) to support early communication development. Suggestions include yarning and playing, yarning about feelings and sharing books.
Community health nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers in Western Australia are encouraged to offer and discuss the Yarning together book with parents and carers of newborn babies and infants.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
El Sayed F, Soar J, Wang Z (2011)
Cultural matter in the development of an interactive multimedia self-paced educational health program for Aboriginal health workers.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(4): 7-13
El Sayed F, Soar J, Wang Z (2011)
Development of an interactive multimedia health informatics CD-ROM for Aboriginal health workers. Case study: tuberculosis (TB).
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(6): 17-26
Francis C, Gear C, Cameron-Smith L, Cleary M, Lee K, Shannon C, Canuto C, Ogwang T, Shannon B, Maher P, Leditschke A, McIntyre B, Treloar E (2011)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker project interim report.
Adelaide: Health Workforce Australia
Health Workforce Australia (2011)
Environmental scan: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker project.
Adelaide: Health Workforce Australia
This publication is a key output from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker project, a major workforce development project currently being undertaken by Health Workforce Australia (HWA).
The publication documents and synthesises the wide range of information and data (e.g. policies, practices and research studies) relevant to the development of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker workforce. The publication:
- provides a national, cross-sector picture of what is already known
- identifies gaps in the knowledge base for further investigation
- informs the framework to guide the information collection phases of HWA's project.
The publication focuses on two broad areas:
- high level considerations which influence the design of and demand for the Health Worker role including:
- historical, cultural and policy context (Chapter 2)
- health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Chapter 3)
- the availability and accessibility of health services (Chapter 4)
- Health Worker specific issues including:
- definition, scope of practice and role (Chapter 5)
- distribution and demographics of the Health Worker workforce (Chapter 6)
- quality and safety mechanisms (Chapter 7)
- career pathways (Chapter 8) education and training (Chapter 9)
- recruitment and retention (Chapter 10).
The publication is not intended as an exhaustive literature review. Rather, it is a working resource for the Health Worker project which summarises the key themes arising from a range of sources identified through desktop research, key informant interviews and feedback from planning and reference groups.
Adapted from Health Workforce Australia
McHugh A, Bradley R, Hornbuckle J (2011)
Women and children first.
O&G magazine : Indigenous health; 13(3): 28-31
McHugh AM, Hornbuckle J (2011)
Maternal and child health model of care in the Aboriginal community controlled health sector.
Perth, WA: Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (2011)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outreach workers national workshop report June 21-22nd 2011: final draft.
Canberra: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Stuart L, Nielsen A (2011)
Two Aboriginal registered nurses show us why black nurses caring for black patients is good medicine.
Contemporary Nurse; 37(1): 96-106
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2011)
The RACGP implementation guidelines for video consultations in general practice : a telehealth initiative.
South Melbourne: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
These guidelines assist general practices with conducting video consultations with patients and can be used by Aboriginal Health Workers conducting video consultations on behalf of a general practitioner (GP).
The guidelines provide an entry-level guide to conducting a video consultation, and cover technical, security, and usage issues such as:
- what is telehealth?
- security requirements
- privacy requirements
- internet connectivity (data speed, video quality, etc)
- hardware and audio
- practice environment and equipment
- setting up software and equipment
- room set-up
- standards for general practices
- medicolegal guidelines.
These guidelines were prepared by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The guidelines are updated regularly as technologies evolve.
Abstract adapted from Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
Thompson M (2011)
The best bang for our buck: recommendations for the provision of training for tobacco action workers and Indigenous health workers.
Contemporary Nurse; 37(1): 90-91
Trueman S, Mills J, Usher K (2011)
Racism in contemporary Australian nursing.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(5): 19-22
Walker D, Tennant M, Short SD (2011)
Listening to Indigenous health workers: helping to explain the disconnect between policy and practice in oral health role development in remote Australia.
Health Education Journal; 70(4): 400-406
Weston A (2011)
Development of an online yarning place for Indigenous health workers.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(2): 9-10
Williams D (2011)
A smoother pathway to birth.
O&G magazine : Indigenous health; 13(3): 26-27
2009
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2009)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health labour force statistics and data quality assessment.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
This report provides comprehensive data on the Indigenous health labour force. The statistics presented in this report are drawn from censuses, surveys and administrative data sources. Information in the report includes data about: Indigenous medical practitioners; nurses; Aboriginal Health Workers; and Indigenous people studying in the health area. The quality of Indigenous labour force data is also discussed.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Boddington P, Räisänen U (2009)
Theoretical and practical issues in the definition of health: insights from Aboriginal Australia.
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy; 34(1): 49-67
Cadet-James Y (2009)
The many hats of an Indigenous researcher: reflecting on practice.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 33(6): 21-23
Deeble J (2009)
Assessing the health service use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples [discussion paper].
Canberra: National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
Gilligan C, Sanson-Fisher RW, D’Este C, Eades S, Wenitong M (2009)
Knowledge and attitudes regarding smoking during pregnancy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Medical Journal of Australia; 190(10): 557-561
Lix LM, Bruce S, Sarkar J, Young TK (2009)
Risk factors and chronic conditions among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations.
Health Reports; 20(4): 21-30
Ridoutt L, Pilbeam V, Lee K (2009)
Aboriginal health worker profession review: final report.
Darwin: Northern Territory Department of Health & Families
This report is an important review of the Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW) profession in the Northern Territory (NT). The review focuses on AHW workforce size and career structure, participation and progression.
The report was commissioned by the NT Department of Health and Families with agreement from the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union, as a result of discussions about the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement that covers Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs).
The report makes a number of recommendations. These are about:
- work role and organisation
- workforce size
- recruitment
- training
- professional development and ongoing support
- professional representation
- retention issues
- role clarifications
- the role of AHWs in acute care settings
- induction and cultural awareness training for nursing staff
- management practices.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Weston A (2009)
Developing a web resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers.
The Chronicle; 15(4): 32
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