Abstract
Objectives: To co-create a culturally responsive student-implemented allied health service in a First Nations remote community and to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the service.
Design: Co-creation involved a pragmatic iterative process, based on participatory action research approaches. Feasibility and acceptability were determined using a mixed-method pre/postdesign.
Setting: The service was in Nhulunbuy, Yirrkala and surrounding remote First Nations communities of East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
Participants: Co-creation of the service was facilitated by the Northern Australia Research Network, guided by Indigenous Allied Health Australia leadership, with East Arnhem local community organisations and community members. Co-creation of the day-to-day service model involved local cultural consultants, service users and their families, staff of community organisations, students, supervisors, placement coordinators and a site administrator.
Findings: A reciprocal learning service model was co-created in which culturally responsive practice was embedded. The service was feasible and acceptable: it was delivered as intended; resources were adequate; the service management system was workable; and the service was acceptable. Health outcome measures, however, were not appropriate to demonstrate impact, particularly through the lens of the people of East Arnhem. Recommendations for the service included: continuing the reciprocal learning service model in the long term; expanding to include all age groups; and connecting with visiting and community-based services.
Conclusion: The co-created service was feasible and acceptable. To demonstrate the impact of the service, measures of health service impact that are important to First Nations people living in remote communities of northern Australia are required.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 782-794 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Australian Journal of Rural Health |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to acknowledge: the Yolŋu service users and families who contributed to co‐creation of the service; Yolŋu cultural consultants; staff from Anglicare NT and East Arnhem Regional Council; staff from Carpentaria, Territory Therapy Solutions and NT Health; students in Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology at James Cook University (JCU); student supervisors from JCU, Flinders NT and Charles Darwin University; First Nations Leadership for Cultural Responsiveness—Indigenous Allied Health Australia; and Independent Researchers from JCU. The authors would like to acknowledge the author (DM) and her family for their permission to make the video available to readers of the journal. The authors would also like to acknowledge the value of the reviewer's comments, which led to extensive discussion and reflection within the intercultural authorship team. This project was funded through a HOT North Pilot Project Grant. Open access publishing facilitated by James Cook University, as part of the Wiley ‐ James Cook University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.
