Chronic disease guidelines and the Indigenous Coordinated Care Trials

Abstract

The establishment of the NT Coordinated Care Trials in 1997

Incidence of and Case Fatality Following Acute Myocardial Infarction in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Western Australians (2000–2004): A Linked Data Study

“…Efforts to reduce the AMI incidence and mortality must be multi-leveled and cross-sectoral. At the health system level, the outcomes for Aboriginal patients can be improved by strengthening hospital and primary health care integration; building the Aboriginal health work force; and implementing culturally appropriate, prompt and effective treatment in mainstream and Aboriginal health services [32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. At the macro level, this requires enabling Aboriginal empowerment, greater attention on community-based education and care [39,40], and most importantly addressing the underlying socio-economic disadvantage [2] and discriminatory practices experienced by Aboriginal people [35,40].…”

Giving support to disease guidelines

“…These comments are a set of generalisations extracted from all Trials and thus do not always necessarily relate to the two Trials that are the subject of the article by Weeramanthri et al (2002). They are summarised as follows.…”

“…The article by Weeramanthri et al (2002) provides an invaluable account of the processes, endeavours and benefits derived from the development and use of disease guidelines for Indigenous populations. It highlights several important lessons from which others with a similar interest can benefit, including the following:…”

The Northern Territory Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy - promoting an integrated and life course approach to chronic disease in Australia

“…The better management of chronic diseases has been named as one of the five major community health centre priorities in operational areas, and written into business plans throughout the Department, against which reporting is required. Each health centre has had to grapple with how best to implement the strategy locally, but has been able to draw on detailed chronic disease management protocols, which can be integrated into single client management plans using either a computerised information system (Weeramanthri et al, 2002), or a standardised paper based system (Maddison, 2000). Major changes have been made to orientation procedures and a special one week Advanced Skills Course in Chronic Disease Management has been developed (Peter White, DHCS Workforce Development, personal communication).…”

“…Community and government concern intensified, and Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services (NT DHCS) had to reconsider its efforts to stem the tide of renal failure and other chronic diseases. The NT Coordinated Care Trials (CCT) were one part of the response aimed at improving care for those with complex and chronic conditions (Local Evaluation Team, 2000;Weeramanthri et al, 2002). The Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy (PCDS) was another.…”