The ABCD National Research Partnership works across States and Territories in Australia to improve the quality of primary health care available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The project builds on the success of the Audit and Best Practice for Chronic Disease and Extension projects (ABCD/E), originating in 2002 in the Northern Territory.  ABCD participatory action research projects led to the establishment in November 2009 of a service support organisation, One21Seventy, the National Centre for Quality Improvement in Indigenous Health www.one21seventy.org.au

By the end of 2009 over 140 health centres around Australia were using ABCD/E tools and processes to improve their quality of care. The ABCD Research Partnership works alongside One21Seventy to continue to develop the evidence-base available to One21Seventy and to answer key questions relevant to quality improvement in the sector.

Partners from each participating State/Territory include:

• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation peak bodies
• Government health departments
• A lead research institution.

Using participatory action research approaches, the Partnership aims to:

1.  Identify factors that underlie variation in health care practice, including variation in practice between regions and between health centres
2. Identify characteristics of health centres and regions that enable them to deliver high quality care despite challenging environments
3. Disseminate specific strategies that have been found to be effective in improving clinical performance in real world implementation settings and work with health centre staff to enhance effective implementation of successful strategies.

The ABCD National Research Partnership is managed by the Project Co-ordinating Centre based in Brisbane, together with staff and investigators at the Menzies School of Health Research, the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families,  Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory,  the University of Queensland, Department of Health, Queensland Government, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, Curtin University, the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia  Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, and Western Australia Department of Health.

Click here to download a printable version of the project information sheet.
Click here to download a printable version of the research information sheet.

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