Strengthening primary health care to improve Indigenous health outcomes

Wakerman, John; Shannon, Cindy

doi:10.5694/mja16.00031

Topics

Health services administration

General medicine

Indigenous health

We need to better implement what we know works for Indigenous populations

What can the health system do to improve Indigenous health outcomes in Australia? Two articles recently published in the Journal offer some insights into the evidence behind what works, how we know it works, why it works and implications for policy.1,2

1 Flinders NT - Flinders University, Darwin, NT
2 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD

Correspondence: john.wakerman@flinders.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Admitted patient care 2013–14: Australian hospital statistics (AIHW Cat. No. HSE 156. Health Services Series No. 60). Canberra: AIHW, 2015.
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11. Thompson S, Haynes E, Shahid S, et al. Shedding light or fanning flames?: a consideration of the challenges in exploring the relative effectiveness of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Qual Prim Care 2015; 23: 141-149.
12. Wakerman J, Stothers K. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. General practice embraces its significant role to close the gap. Aust Fam Physician 2014; 43: 7.
13. Ham C, Timmins N. Managing health services through devolved governance: a perspective from Victoria, Australia. London: The King’s Fund, 2015.

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