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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter respectfully named Indigenous) Australians are diagnosed with some cancers substantially more frequently than non-Indigenous Australians implying a different risk factor landscape. Additionally, poorer outcomes for certain cancers are exacerbated by lower cancer screening rates and later diagnoses compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
Hematological disorders are often treated with blood transfusions. Many blood group antigens and variants are population-specific, and for patients with rare blood types, extensive donor screening is required to find suitable matches for transfusion. There is a scarcity of knowledge regarding blood group variants in Aboriginal Australian populations, despite a higher need for transfusion due to the higher prevalence of renal diseases and anemia.
Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease are caused by untreated group A streptococcus infections. Their prevalence is much higher among First Nations people than other Australians.
Diabetic nephropathy, vision loss and diabetic retinopathy are frequent comorbidities among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The Retinopathy in People Currently On Renal Dialysis study sought to examine the epidemiology and risk of vision impairment and among a cohort of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with T2D currently receiving haemodialysis for end-stage renal failure.
Organ transplantation is a well-established intervention but is reliant on the donation of organs and tissues, mostly from deceased donors. The proportion of Australians proceeding to organ donation (OD) has increased, but the proportion of Indigenous Australians proceeding remains two-thirds that of non-Indigenous Australians. We sought to explore perceived barriers and enablers for the involvement of Indigenous peoples in the OD process.
Healing Right Way (HRW) aimed to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal Australians with stroke or traumatic brain injury by facilitating system-level access to culturally secure rehabilitation services. Using a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial design, a two-pronged intervention was introduced in four rural and four urban hospitals, comprising cultural security training for staff and training/employment of Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinators to support Aboriginal patients for 6-months post-injury.
Tamara Chris Valerie Veselinovic Brennan-Jones Swift BSc(Hons) MClinAud PhD PhD Clinical Research Fellow Head, Ear and Hearing Health Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians are known to have a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) than non-Indigenous counterparts. Atherogenic lipid profiles, characterised by low serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and higher serum triglycerides, have been shown to be more prevalent in Indigenous Australians. The use of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for risk stratification and diagnosis of CAD has been validated in moderate risk populations, but limited data exists in specific high-risk populations such as Indigenous Australians.
Globally, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. While ARI-related mortality is low in Australia, First Nations infants are hospitalised with ARIs up to nine times more often than their non-First Nations counterparts.
Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) is a priority issue for the health system. Little is known about the factors associated with DAMA for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) children in Australia.