Aims:
- To obtain an Aboriginal perspective on respiratory illnesses, health services and programs
- To evaluate whether the IROC initiative is achieving its goals of increasing community awareness of respiratory disease.
Summary:
Queensland’s burden of chronic lung disease in the Aboriginal population is substantially higher than non-Indigenous Queenslanders across all age groups and regions of the state, however there is substantial lack of services, programs, resources and research to address the issue that are culturally appropriate and incorporate Indigenous perspectives.
In July 2011, Queensland Health commenced the Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care (IROC) program, an initiative of the Statewide Respiratory Clinical Network. IROC aims to:
- Increase access to specialised respiratory services for Aboriginal rural and remote Queensland communities
- Raise awareness of respiratory illnesses, signs and symptoms
- Enhance community capacity in respiratory diseases.
Implications for policy and practice:
Through evaluating the delivery of IROC to rural and remote Aboriginal Queensland communities it is envisaged that it will increase the knowledge, attitudes and perception of respiratory illnesses in individuals and communities thereby, defining ‘what is respiratory health to Aboriginal people thus improving respiratory health services, resources and respiratory health outcomes.
Chief investigator:
- Dr Kerry-Ann O’Grady
Project manager:
- Linda Medlin
Funders:
- Queensland Health Statewide Respiratory Clinical Network (COAG Close The Gap Funding)
Collaborators:
- Professor Anne Chang, Menzies School of Health Research
- Dr Maree Toombs, University of Queensland
- Dr Alex Brown