Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyCampaign(Oxfam Australia 2008) and the National Strategic Framework forAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 2003-2013 (National AboriginalTorres Strait Islander Health Council 2004) provide directions for such positivechanges through the nine principles discussed previously. The difficulty lies incommitting to and implementing them at all levels of government and heathservice delivery. While I recognise the need for this to occur, the ability toimplement such changes goes beyond the ability of this research, the coresearchersand myself as a community heath nurse. While I can advocate andlobby, I cannot instigate or guarantee such level of change. However, thisresearch is still important as it offers a clear focus on what changes are possiblethrough positive and respectful client/health professional interactions, and howcollaboration can enable progress for Aboriginal community members andhealth workers even when the health system they are trying to work withretracts from its rhetoric of effective collaboration as a basis for improvingAboriginal health outcomes.Collaboration as a way forwardThis research sought to Close the Gap through finding pragmatic andresponsive ways that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health professionals andAboriginal community women could work together to meet complexAboriginal women’s health and well being needs, regardless and regardful ofwhat the health system was doing at the time. As discussed, neither healthprofessionals nor community women assumed that the health system wouldrecognise or support the importance of collaboration, or comprehensive healthcare. While policy documents have stated the government’s commitment tocomprehensive primary health care and collaboration, service models andpractice reality proves otherwise. In order to move forward together,community women and health professionals needed to take proactive steps toinitiate collaboration from the ground up, in full recognition that the healthsystem may or may not support their commitment to such collaboration. Theyneeded to be both optimistic and pragmatic about the possibilities andlimitations of any collaboration, recognising that immediate needs may be met,but longer term needs may not. A clear understanding of these realities isneeded to prevent unrealistic expectations from developing.329