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Missing in Action: Allied Health Services in Far West NSW

Missing in Action: Allied Health Services in Far West NSW. Michelle Lincoln and Kylie Gwynne. An example August 2013. Brewarrina Population 1,874 (ABS 2011). Walgett Population: 6,797 (ABS 2011). The Problem . Access to allied health services for people living in rural and remote areas

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Missing in Action: Allied Health Services in Far West NSW

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  1. Missing in Action: Allied Health Services in Far West NSW Michelle Lincoln and Kylie Gwynne

  2. An example August 2013 Brewarrina • Population 1,874 (ABS 2011)

  3. Walgett Population: 6,797 (ABS 2011)

  4. The Problem • Access to allied health services for people living in rural and remote areas • Small, unevenly distributed workforce • Recruitment and retention issues • ‘Patchy’ engagement with Aboriginal people and communities

  5. In Far West NSW A Patchwork of Services, not based on population needs or size • Historical • Opportunistic recruitment • Outreach services from multiple government and nongovernment providers • Lack of clarity about service delivery model and expected outcomes

  6. This has resulted in … • Overarching sense of instability and unreliability of allied health services • Unidentified need • Lack of awareness of the benefits • Inequity of access • Questionable effectiveness

  7. Why is this a problem? • AHPs assist people to participate fully in their families, employment, and communities • Their supply is critical to health, quality of life, and community participation, particularly for those with significant disabilities. • Least services in areas of highest demand?

  8. Aboriginal children and speech and language development • The prevalence of speech and language delays and disorders is unknown • Most likely due to a lack of culturally appropriate assessment tools and engagement strategies • Otitis media occurs at much higher rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations than in in non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations which can have a significant impact on speech and language development and educational outcomes

  9. Speech, language and communication skills • Oral language and literacy development • Oral language and ability to access the whole school curriculum • Communication skills and • social skills • ability to resolve conflict • employability, SES • incarceration rates

  10. Fine motor, self care, self regulation andsocial skills • Make friends and form relationships • Grasp, write and manipulate objects • Participate in classroom activities • Participate in family and social activities

  11. Poche Centre Model Postdoctoral Researcher Students

  12. Resourcing • Funding for 3 Allied Health Assistant scholarships • Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist • Postdoctoral researcher

  13. Research The impact of the Poche Model on accessibility and effectiveness of allied health services in rural and remote areas • Iterative cycle of health services research • Mixed methods design • Child outcome measures • Stakeholder perspectives

  14. References • Davidson, B., Hill, A., & Nelson, A. (2013). Responding to the World Report on Disability in Australia: Lessons from collaboration in an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 15, 1, 69-74. • Gould, J. (2008). Non-standard assessment practices in the evaluation of communication in Australian Aboriginal children. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetic., 22, 8, 643-657. • Morris, P., Leach, A., Silberberg, P., Mellon, G., Wilson, C., Hamilton, E. & Beissbarth, J. (2005). Otitis media in young Aboriginal children from remote communities in northern and central Australia. BMC Pediatrics, 5, 27. • Pearce, W., & Williams, C. (2013). The cultural appropriateness and diagnostic usefulness of standardized language assessments for Indigenous Australian children. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 15, 4, 429-440. • Toohill, B., McLeod, S., & McCormack, J. (2012). Effect of dialect on identification and severity of speech impairment in Indigenous Aboriginal children. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 26, 2, 101-119.

  15. http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/public-health/poche/ http://sydney.edu.au/health-sciences/research/wobbly-hub http://twitter.com/WobblyHub

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