Cooperative Research Centres

Chronic Condition Management Strategies in Aboriginal Communities

 

CRCAH project No: CD218

Administering Organisation:
Flinders University

Program Manager:
Arwen Pratt
Chronic Conditions program

Project Leaders:
Inge Kowanko, Peter Harvey, Malcolm Battersby

Contact:
Inge.Kowanko@flinders.edu.au

 Partners Involved:

  • Flinders University
  • Aboriginal Health Council of SA (AHCSA)
  • Three Aboriginal health services (currently being negotiated)
  • CRC for Aboriginal Health
Project Summary

This project started in January 2008. It is a participatory, action-oriented project that builds on previous research around management of chronic conditions in primary health care and community settings. The methodology is based on collaboration, flexibility, respect, meeting needs and participation. It will explore how and why Aboriginal health services currently manage chronic conditions in their client populations, introduce enhanced CCM (Chronic Conditions Management) strategies that are known to be feasible from previous work, support those CCM strategies with appropriate training, and evaluate their clinical effectiveness and sustainability over time.

 The project employs mixed methods, both qualitative and quantitative, including interviews, audits of service provision and costs, repeated clinical measures and self-reports of wellbeing, integrative analysis and reporting. The goal is to demonstrate effective and sustainable CCM strategies to inform Aboriginal health services and communities. It is hoped this will ultimately lead to improvements in health status for participating communities.

 

Summary of Projected Outcomes

The overall goal of the project is to develop and demonstrate sustainable and effective chronic condition management (CCM) strategies for Aboriginal communities. This research will explore the CCM strategies that three participating services currently use, find out what works well for them and why, and what systems and supports are required. Then, according to their priorities and available resources, participating Aboriginal health services will be offered additional CCM strategies along with associated training for health service providers and organizational change. The processes, impacts and outcomes of these CCM ‘interventions’ will be assessed using multiple methods including interviews with clients and service providers, changes in health status (clinical measures and self-report), audit of service provision and costs.

 

Timeline

The project commenced in January 2008 and finishes in December 2010.

 

Back to Research Projects

All Content © CRC for Aboriginal Health 2006