Title: Aboriginal participation in health service delivery: coordinated care trials in the Northern Territory of Australia

Authors: Gary Robinson, Peter d'Abbs, Samantha Togni, Ross Bailie

Addresses: Centre for North Australian and Asian Research, Northern Territory University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia. Northern Zone Management Unit, Queensland Health, PO Box 1103, Cairns, Qld. 4870, Australia. Menzies School of Health Research, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia. Menzies School of Health Research, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia

Abstract: Australian Aborigines have much higher rates of illness and life expectancy, up to 20 years lower than the Australian population as a whole. Community based primary healthcare to Aborigines in the Northern Territory of Australia has, historically, been under-resourced, in part due to distinctive characteristics of the Australian healthcare funding system which has disadvantaged rural and remote regions. From 1998, the Northern Territory was the site of two Coordinated Care Trials (CCTs) which sought to achieve three main objectives: to significantly increase funding available to health services; to implement a system of clinical best practice; and to improve Aboriginal participation in health service delivery through the establishment of Aboriginal community health boards to act as funds managers and providers of health services to the trial populations. The paper outlines general CCT outcomes according to the findings of the commissioned evaluation studies and examines the possibilities and constraints encountered in improving Aboriginal participation in complex health service developments.

Keywords: Australian Aboriginal health; coordinated care trials (CCTs); health service evaluation; funds pool management and area health boards; Aboriginal participation and community control of health services; chronic diseases; care plan and care coordination; population healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2003.003336

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2003 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.45 - 62

Published online: 28 Aug 2003 *

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