To mark the sixth National Close the Gap Day on 22 March, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is urging general practitioners (GPs) and practice teams – in all parts of Australia – to commit to identifying the Indigenous status of their patients, in order to support national efforts to 'close the gap' for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is one of Australia's highest health priorities, with research showing alarming discrepancies in chronic disease prevalence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Through the use of a standard national question: 'Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?' a patient who identifies as Indigenous can benefit from various measures in the Australian Government's Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.
Associate Professor Brad Murphy, Chair of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, said contrary to popular assumption, the majority (about 75 per cent) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in major cities and regional towns.
"Many health professionals find it surprising to discover significant numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are being treated by general practitioners in all areas of Australia, not just in regional and remote Australian communities.
"Making Indigenous identification a priority for all GPs and practice teams is a simple step that can go a long way in increasing the relatively small number of preventative health assessments currently being conducted for these patients," Associate Professor Murphy said.
"The RACGP is committed to raising general practitioners' awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health needs and their cultural context, and to advocating for culturally appropriate health delivery systems which improve health outcomes."
As part of the RACGP Standards for general practices (4th edition) general practice teams need to demonstrate they routinely record the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status in active patient health records.
Without practice awareness, a patient who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin cannot benefit from measures available under the Practice Incentives Program Indigenous Health Incentive (PIP IHI) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment measure.
Other initiatives undertaken by the RACGP to address 'closing the gap' include:
"The RACGP is proud to support efforts to tackle health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and acknowledges the daily work of many of its members to improve health outcomes for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients," Associate Professor Murphy concluded
The College is proud to have 2,000 RACGP members from across the country join its newest faculty, the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, showing their support in 'closing the gap'. For more information about the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, visit www.racgp.org.au/aboriginalhealth.