Not just bricks and mortar: Planning hospital cancer services for Aboriginal people

Thompson, SC; Shahid, S; Bessarab, D; Durey, A; Davidson, PM

Not just bricks and mortar: Planning hospital cancer services for Aboriginal people

Thompson, SC Shahid, S Bessarab, D Durey, A Davidson, PM

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMC Research Notes, 2011, 4
Issue Date:: 2011-03-16

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Thompson, SC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shahid, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bessarab, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Durey, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Davidson, PM https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2050-1534	en_US
dc.date.available	2011-03-14	en_US
dc.date.issued	2011-03-16	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	BMC Research Notes, 2011, 4	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18637
dc.description.abstract	Background: Aboriginal people in Australia experience higher mortality from cancer compared with non-Aboriginal Australians, despite an overall lower incidence. A notable contributor to this disparity is that many Aboriginal people do not take up or continue with cancer treatment which almost always occurs within major hospitals. Thirty in-depth interviews with urban, rural and remote Aboriginal people affected by cancer were conducted between March 2006 and September 2007. Interviews explored participants' beliefs about cancer and experiences of cancer care and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers. NVivo7 software was used to assist data management and analysis. Information from interviews relevant to hospital services including and building design was extracted. Findings. Relationships and respect emerged as crucial considerations of participants although many aspects of the hospital environment were seen as influencing the delivery of care. Five themes describing concerns about the hospital environment emerged: (i) being alone and lost in a big, alien and inflexible system; (ii) failure of open communication, delays and inefficiency in the system; (iii) practicalities: costs, transportation, community and family responsibilities; (iv) the need for Aboriginal support persons; and (v) connection to the community. Conclusions: Design considerations and were identified but more important than the building itself was the critical need to build trust in health services. Promotion of cultural safety, support for Aboriginal family structures and respecting the importance of place and community to Aboriginal patients are crucial in improving cancer outcomes. © 2011 Thompson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	BMC Research Notes	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1186/1756-0500-4-62	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Bioinformatics	en_US
dc.title	Not just bricks and mortar: Planning hospital cancer services for Aboriginal people	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.for	1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Nursing
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	4	en_US

Abstract:

Background: Aboriginal people in Australia experience higher mortality from cancer compared with non-Aboriginal Australians, despite an overall lower incidence. A notable contributor to this disparity is that many Aboriginal people do not take up or continue with cancer treatment which almost always occurs within major hospitals. Thirty in-depth interviews with urban, rural and remote Aboriginal people affected by cancer were conducted between March 2006 and September 2007. Interviews explored participants' beliefs about cancer and experiences of cancer care and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers. NVivo7 software was used to assist data management and analysis. Information from interviews relevant to hospital services including and building design was extracted. Findings. Relationships and respect emerged as crucial considerations of participants although many aspects of the hospital environment were seen as influencing the delivery of care. Five themes describing concerns about the hospital environment emerged: (i) being alone and lost in a big, alien and inflexible system; (ii) failure of open communication, delays and inefficiency in the system; (iii) practicalities: costs, transportation, community and family responsibilities; (iv) the need for Aboriginal support persons; and (v) connection to the community. Conclusions: Design considerations and were identified but more important than the building itself was the critical need to build trust in health services. Promotion of cultural safety, support for Aboriginal family structures and respecting the importance of place and community to Aboriginal patients are crucial in improving cancer outcomes. © 2011 Thompson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18637