ABORIGINAL HEALTH RESEARCH AT SAHMRI

ABORIGINAL HEALTH RESEARCH AT SAHMRI

IN THIS EDITION1. PROPHECY Community Visits 2. New Wardliparingga Staff3. Call for staff - PROPHECY Project4. Project Profile - The Kanyini Vascular Collaboration - Wellbeing Model Study5. Next Steps Project wins award6. News and Opportunities - Network Meeting & New Publications7. New Wardliparingga Merchandise

NEWSLETTER NO.10 - April 2015

PROPHECY Community Visits

In early March this year, Alex Brown, Aunty Christine Franks and Kim Morey visited Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta. The purpose of these important visits was to meet with Aboriginal community leaders, health services staff and Community Council members regarding the Predicting Renal, Ophthalmic, and Heart Events in the Aboriginal Community (PROPHECY) study. There was a lot of interest from both communities regarding the study, and how it could improve the lives of Aboriginal people in those communities who are living with diabetes and complications of diabetes.

The team have now visited most communities across South Australia, and we have gained significant support to conduct an important study of this kind. We are committed to ensure that all communities across South Australia are well-informed of the study, are given the opportunity to consider their participation and are kept up to date on each step.

The team are due to visit Yalata and Oak Valley in mid-April, and are looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the study with these communities.

Sara NoonanSara Noonan manages the South Australian Childhood Rheumatic Heart Disease (SACRHD) Screening Project at SAHMRI. Sara was born in Adelaide and raised in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She completed her registered nurse training at the Royal Darwin Hospital in 1987 and has since worked in a number of clinical and public health settings throughout Australia and overseas.Sara has extensive experience in the area of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). She was the first RHD program coordinator in Australia (Darwin 1997) and has since supported development of RHD programs throughout Australia and in a number of Pacific Island Countries. From 2005 to 2009 she provided RHD technical support to the World Heart Federation. Sara has been involved in a number of research projects related to rheumatic fever and RHD, and was a lead author and coordinator of the second edition of Australia’s national RHD guidelines (published 2012). Sara also provides ongoing technical support to RHDAustralia (Australia’s National Coordination Unit for RHD control) and works part time as a nurse in a metropolitan cardiology unit.

Janet KellyJanet is nurse researcher who works in Aboriginal and mainstream primary and tertiary health care settings, in urban, rural and remote Australia. Her collaborative approach involves working with Aboriginal patients, their families, and a diverse range of health and research professionals to improve Aboriginal health care experiences and outcomes. Janet coordinated and led various stages of the Managing Two Worlds Together Project where she co-developed a set of Aboriginal patient journey mapping tools for quality improvement and education. Janet participates in a range of cardiac, renal, maternity and nursing projects. Her current position focuses on better understanding the in-hospital communication experiences of urban, rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people requiring acute cardiac care, as well as the experiences of their families and health care providers.

NEW WARDLIPARINGGA STAFFF

The PROPHECY ProjectLandmark Study of Diabetes in Aboriginal Communities

seeking experienced staff• Make a contribution to the health of Aboriginal people in South Australia• Work within a world-class health & medical research facility• Be a part of the team that builds a long-term study of the causes and complications of

diabetes in Aboriginal peopleThe Wardliparingga team leads the program of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research within the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Wardliparingga was established to improve the health of Aboriginal people in South Australia through a better understanding of health status, service provision and the determinants of health and illness in the SA community. Our current focus includes clinical and epidemiological heart and diabetes research, cancer in vulnerable individuals, psychosocial factors, and redesigning health care services and systems to better meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.We are recruiting a new team to implement a unique, landmark study aimed at understanding the causes and development of complications from diabetes in the Aboriginal community. The PROPHECY study will recruit 4000 Aboriginal people from across regional, remote and metropolitan South Australia over a three-year period. This will require intense engagement with Aboriginal communities and an ambitious schedule of data collection and analysis. We require a team of skilled and dedicated people with experience working with the Aboriginal community, great organisational skills and effective communication abilities.Roles Available:We are seeking to recruit a team of people for the establishment of this cohort that includes the following skills:

• Clinical trial coordination or cohort study management• Field work clinical and non-clinical • Procurement, logistics and project planning• General project management and team management skills• Communication management via web and social media• Community engagement, negotiation and communication about the study• Data collection, management and security• Report and scientific publication preparation• Research management including ethics management• Recruitment and training of staff• Negotiating skills• Piloting of research processes and tools• Research quality management, including management of any complaints or queries from

participants• Administration of questionnaires• Planning and protocols for collection of biological samples• Participant follow-up• Liaison with health services• Research participant consenting• Support of Chief and Associate Investigators• Experience working with or connections to Aboriginal communities

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values and our institute is dedicated to grow a culture that pursues, enables and demands research excellence. We’re proud of the work we do and work hard as a team to make a positive difference to the community. Excellence, imagination, integrity, courage and teamwork are what help us achieve our goals. If this is you, apply today.For more information regarding these opportunities, please contact Kathy Mott, Senior Business & Relationships Manager on 8128 4205 or 0421 097 113.To apply: Visit www.sahmri.com/careers and follow the links to the PROPHECY Project Opportunities to apply online;Applications close: 8am Tuesday 20th April 2015Wardliparingga and SAHMRI have a strong commitment to employment Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into these roles. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

Project ProfileA Wellbeing Framework to Assist Primary Healthcare Services to Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Living with Chronic Disease

Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit is proud to announce the development of a Wellbeing Framework which will assist primary healthcare services to support the quality of life of, as well as to improve the quality of care for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with chronic disease. Under the guidance of a National Reference Group, a team of researchers, including thirteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare professionals from across Australia, came together to undertake this important work. Over 70 community members and healthcare practitioners who provide care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander were interviewed as part of the study.

Please be aware that this publication/resource may contain the name and/or images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may now be deceased.

Wellbeing is supported by locally defined, culturally safe primary healthcare

services

Creating culturally welcoming places

Developing trusting relationships with

clients and communities

Understanding and accepting cultural

diversity within communities

Delivering flexible primary healthcare services both within

and outside of healthcare facilities

Wellbeing is supported by an appropriately skilled and

culturally competent healthcare team

Ensuring that all staff are culturally competent

Equipping staff with suitable skills to

support people with chronic disease

Valuing and supporting Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander staff

Developing effective cultural leadership

Wellbeing is supported by holistic care throughout the

lifespan

Applying holistic approaches that address priorities determined with

clients

Life-course approach from pre-conception

to post-mortality

Ensuring appropriate resources are

available to meet local priorities and

needs

Responding to family, community, cultural

and spiritual responsibilities and

obligations

Wellbeing is supported by best practice care that

addresses the particular needs of a community

Utilising cultural and scientific evidence to provide best practice

healthcare

Ensuring that primary healthcare services

are available, accessible and

acceptable

Empowering communties to be

involved in determining local

healthcare priorities

Developing multi-disciplinary teams

that support holistic care

Wellbeing is supported by upholding peoples’ identities in connection to culture, spirituality, families, communities and Country.

Wellbeing is supported by culturally safe primary healthcare services.

The Wellbeing Framework (http://www.kvc.org.au/wellbeing-framework-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-peoples-living-chronic-disease/) identifies values, elements and principles fundamental to the provision of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Key to the Wellbeing Framework are practical and measurable applications that suggest ways in which these could be applied. Primary healthcare services, in consultation with the communities they serve, will be able to use this Wellbeing Framework to shape their own models of care which specifically address the needs of their local communities.


An important aspect of the Wellbeing Model study was the involvement of thirteen frontline Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare staff from seven primary healthcare services around the country as Research Fellows within Stage Three of the study. With support from the core research team, the Research Fellows were involved in conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups with healthcare providers and community members, as well as analysing and interpreting the qualitative data, and actively developing and refining the Wellbeing Model.

The Wellbeing Study Team

Next Steps for Aboriginal Health Research Project wins award

A PROJECT from South Australia has been recognised for forging ties between Indigenous and medical research communities for better health outcomes in Aboriginal Australians.

A National Award in Indigenous Health Ethics was presented to the joint project between the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia and the Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit within the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

The winning project is entitled “Next Steps for Aboriginal Health Research: How research can improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in South Australia.”

The tarrn doon nonin award – meaning ‘trust’ in the Woiwurrung language of central Victoria – comes from the Lowitja Institute, Australia’s National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Health Research. The award recognizes excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research ethics, and provides $10 000 towards project research funds.

“Research into health and wellbeing needs to be driven by and involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.” Dr Rosie King from the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia said the philosophy underpinning the project was founded quite simply on asking the South Australian Aboriginal community what they thought research should focus on.

“People told us they want research to focus on their everyday health and wellbeing needs, but importantly they also want approaches that respect and engage with a view of life that is holistic and interconnected with cultural, spiritual, social and physical needs across the lifespan,” she said.

“Research into health and wellbeing needs to be driven by and involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and provide a tangible benefit back to community and to develop an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resilience, diversity and community needs.”

The winning project was informed by an historic Accord for negotiated health outcomes between indigenous South Australians and medical health researchers, launched at SAHMRI in 2014.

SAHMRI also recently published details of its exemplar Closing the Gap health project ESSENCE

to address cardiovascular health in Indigenous Australians based on a foundation of evidence and standards for equitable care.

Kim Morey, the manager for Knowledge Transition and Exchange in SAHMRI’s Aboriginal Research Unit, said that SAHMRI was thrilled to be recognised for the project.

“SAHMRI was most excited about this first partnership with ACHSA on the Next Steps project because it developed Aboriginal Community driven research priorities. SAHMRI welcomes recognition for the Next Steps project, which refocuses the research agenda so that those issues most important to South Australian Aboriginal Communities begin to receive the attention that they deserve. Moreover, the majority of the researchers on the Next Steps team are Aboriginal.”

The online resource EthicsHub was also launched at the Indigenous Health Ethics award ceremony. This initiative will support individuals and organisations working or participating in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.

The award coincided with National Close the Gap Day. http://www.theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/industries/health/south-australia-secures-national-award-in-indigenous-health-ethics/

Above: Janet Stajic (Project Officer, Next Steps, now in Wardliparingga), John Singer (Director Nganampa Health Council), Dr Rosie King (Co-Chief Investigator), Aunty Pat Anderson (AO, Chair Lowitja Institute) and Romlie Mokak (CEO, Lowitja Institute) at the awards event.


News and Opportunities

South Australian Aboriginal Health Research Network Meeting

• Theme - Housing as a Social Determinant of Health.• When - 30th April, 2.00 - 4.30pm. • Where - Auditorium, Level 3, SAHMRI, North Terrace

The next South Australian Aboriginal Health Research Network event will focus on housing status as a determinant of health. We spent the last network meeting talking about education and how it may impact on health for children and families. This time we have four speakers to discuss their perspectives on housing, homelessness and its effects on health and wellbeing. Join us to hear:

Prof Andrew Beer – Centre Housing and Urban Regional PlanningDr Alice Clarke – CEO Shelter SADr Natasha Howard – Deputy Vice President of Public Health Association of SAPolicy perspective - Housing SA Rep

To register your interest, please contact [email protected]

For full story http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/24/australia-housing-shortage-debt


New Publications

Russell EA, Tran L, Baker RA, Bennetts JS, Brown A, Reid CM, Tam R, Walsh WF, Maguire GP. A review of valve surgery for rheumatic heart disease in Australia. BMC Cardiovasc Disord [Internet]. 2014; 14(1):[134 p.]. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/14/134

Edwards L, Connors C, Whitbread C, Brown A, Oats J, Maple-Brown L, on behalf of the NT Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership. Improving health service delivery for women with diabetes in pregnancy in remote Australia: survey of care in the Northern Territory Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2014 Dec;54(6):534-40.

Wong CX, Brooks AG, Cheng Y-H, Lau DH, Rangnekar G, Roberts-Thomson KC, Kalman JM, Brown A, Sanders P. Atrial fibrillation in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open [Internet]. 2014; 4(10):e006242. Available from: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/10/e006242.full

McBride K, Kite E, Keech W, Kelly J, Rischbieth A, Brown A. Experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people admitted for a cardiac event in Australian public hospitals: a systematic review protocol. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews & Implementation Reports [Internet]. 2014 7 November 2014; 12(9):45 - 57. Available from: http://joannabriggslibrary.org/index.php/jbisrir/article/view/1621

Kapellas K, Skilton MR, Maple-Brown LJ, Do LG, Bartold PM, O’Dea K, Brown A, Celermajer DS, Jamieson LM. Periodontal disease and dental caries among Indigenous Australians living in the Northern Territory, Australia. Aust Dent J. 2014;59(1):93-9.

Amarasena N, Kapellas K, Brown A, Skilton MR, Maple-Brown LJ, Bartold MP, O’Dea K, Celermajer D, Slade GD, Jamieson L. Psychological distress and self-rated oral health among a convenience sample of Indigenous Australians. J Public Health Dent [Internet]. 2014. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jphd.12080/epdf

Brown A, Jennings G. Essence of Care. MJA InSight, December 1 2014

Brown A, O’Shea RL, Mott K, McBride KF, Lawson T, Jennings GLR, On behalf of the Essential Service Standards for Equitable National Cardiovascular Care for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people (ESSENCE) Steering Committee. A Strategy for Translating Evidence Into Policy and Practice to Close the Gap - Developing Essential Service Standards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cardiovascular Care. Heart Lung Circ. 2015;24:119-25.

Brown A, O’Shea RL, Mott K, McBride KF, Lawson T, Jennings GLR. Essential Service Standards for Equitable National Cardiovascular Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Heart, Lung and Circulation 2015 February;24(2):126–41.

Johnston L, Doyle J, Morgan B, Atkinson-Briggs S, Firebrace B, Marika M, Reilly R, Cargo M, Riley T, Rowley K. A Review of Programs That Targeted Environmental Determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Aug 2013; 10(8): 3518–3542.

Kite E, Davy C, Gibson O, McBride K, Brown A. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perceptions of quality of life and wellbeing and how they are measured: a systematic review protocol. The JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports [Internet]. 2014; 12(7):[138-47 pp.]. Available from: http://www.joannabriggslibrary.org/index.php/jbisrir/article/view/1529

SAHMRI MERCHANDISE

North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

PO Box 11060Adelaide, SA 5001P +61 8 8128 4151

ABN: 54 141 228 346www.sahmri.com

White Wardliparingga- branded ceramic mugs

$11.50 each

White Wardliparingga- branded tea-towels

$15.00 each

Black 100% cotton printed women’s and men’s t-shirts

$50 each Sizes available: Women - Small (10 - 20) Men - Medium - 2XL

To order, please visit www.sahmri.com

SUPPORT WARDLIPARINGGAIn order to raise awareness and funds to continue the valuable research being undertaken in Wardliparingga, we are pleased to launch our new range of merchandise, with all funds raised going towards sustaining this continuing work. Please see below for images and details of how to order.

Contact:Professor Alex Brown Director, Aboriginal Health Research ProgramWardliparingga Aboriginal Research UnitPhone: 08 8128 4210Email: [email protected]

Kathy Mott Senior Business and Relationships ManagerWardliparingga Aboriginal Research UnitPhone: 08 8128 4205Email: [email protected]

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ABORIGINAL HEALTH RESEARCH AT SAHMRI

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