Editorial
Amanda KennyAustralian Journal of Primary Health 23(3) i-ii https://doi.org/10.1071/PYv23n3_ED
Published: 22 June 2017
In an interesting review in this issue, Fisher et al. (2017) identifies major policy change and questions whether these changes pose a risk to equitable access to primary care. This review links well with the article by Corscadden et al. (2017) on barriers to accessing primary health.
These articles provide a good background to others in this issue. To me, the key to good, useful and effective policy is in the translation to practice. How a policy is implemented is the key in determining whether the policy supports more equitable health care and better health outcomes.
The participatory methods employed in the study by Thomas et al. (2017) reminded me of a discussion that I had with a colleague this week. He submitted a manuscript to the British Medical Journal and it was returned by the Editor indicating that further information was needed about consumer involvement in the study, consistent with their policy on public participation in research. I thought the contrasting views of primary health providers and Aboriginal people (Smith et al. 2017) and the work of McFarlane et al. (2017) reinforced the need for greater participation by people who access primary health services.
Adebayo and colleagues tackle an important issue in equitable healthcare through their focus on oral health in residential aged care facilities (Adebayo et al. 2017). They indicate a multitude of structural barriers that need to be addressed to ensure the potential of ICT can be realised in promoting good oral health to this important group of older people.
There are some really interesting discussions in this issue. Having spent some time in Canada, with one of my doctoral students looking at food security, I thought about food security policy when reading the article by Kleve et al. (2017) and the differences between Canada and Australia. I really liked Hilder’s point about the differences between ‘best practice’ and ‘good practice’ in the use of family members as interpreters in general practice (Hilder et al. 2017). I think the lessons are translatable in many contexts. The article by Hobden et al. (2017) provides some interesting findings on rates of depression and level of alcohol misuse. As a parent, I am mightily pleased that worrying about kids and ‘Schoolies’ is well behind me, but I enjoyed reading the account of Jongenelis et al. (2017) about alcohol consumption and the amount of money spent in celebrating the end of secondary schooling.
Douglass’s work provides insight in to STI testing (Douglass et al. 2017). The focus on testing was picked up again in the article written by Leidel et al. (2017), this time with a focus on HIV among people who were homeless or described as marginalised. I was intrigued by the article by Turbitt et al. and the concerns that were expressed by paediatricians about discharge (Turbitt et al. 2017).
I teach an undergraduate subject on managing chronic conditions so found the work of Baxter et al. (2017) and McFarlane et al. (2017), really relevant and wondered about the health promotion implications of the study by Turner et al. into people presenting at after-hours clinics (Turner et al. 2017). It is always great to see new authors publishing, and Borkowski’s work on research culture in allied health should be of interest to many (Borkowski et al. 2017).
In Bendigo, where I am based, the mornings have been absolutely freezing so I hope reading this issue gives you a good excuse to stay in bed if it is frosty in your part of the world. If you are somewhere where it is warm, spare a thought for the Victorians, frost, and the <0°C starts to the day. I hope you enjoy the read.
Mandy
Prof. Amanda Kenny
Co-Editor in Chief, Australian Journal of Primary Health
References
Adebayo B, Durey A, Slack-Smith LM (2017) Role of information and communication technology in promoting oral health at residential aged care facilities. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 216–222.| Role of information and communication technology in promoting oral health at residential aged care facilities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Baxter C, Morello A, Smith D, Norton L, Bentley D (2017) A preliminary investigation of the Partners in Health scale measurement properties in patients with end stage renal disease. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 288–293.
| A preliminary investigation of the Partners in Health scale measurement properties in patients with end stage renal disease.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Borkowski D, McKinstry C, Cotchett M (2017) Research culture in a regional allied health setting. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 300–306.
| Research culture in a regional allied health setting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Corscadden L, Levesque J-F, Lewis V, Breton M, Sutherland K, Weenink J-W, Haggerty J, Russell G (2017) Barriers to accessing primary health care: comparing Australian experiences internationally. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 223–228.
| Barriers to accessing primary health care: comparing Australian experiences internationally.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Douglass CH, Vella AM, Hellard ME, Lim MSC (2017) Correlates of sexually transmissible infection testing among a sample of at-risk young Australians. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 272–277.
| Correlates of sexually transmissible infection testing among a sample of at-risk young Australians.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fisher M, Baum F, Kay A, Friel S (2017) Are changes in Australian national primary healthcare policy likely to promote or impede equity of access? A narrative review. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 209–215.
| Are changes in Australian national primary healthcare policy likely to promote or impede equity of access? A narrative review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hilder J, Gray B, Dowell A, Macdonald L, Tester R, Stubbe M (2017) ‘It depends on the consultation’: revisiting use of family members as interpreters for general practice consultations – when and why? Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 257–262.
| ‘It depends on the consultation’: revisiting use of family members as interpreters for general practice consultations – when and why?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hobden B, Bryant J, Sanson-Fisher R, Oldmeadow C, Carey M (2017) Do rates of depression vary by level of alcohol misuse in Australian general practice? Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 263–267.
| Do rates of depression vary by level of alcohol misuse in Australian general practice?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jongenelis MI, Pettigrew S, Biagioni N, Hagger MS (2017) Western Australian students’ alcohol consumption and expenditure intentions for Schoolies. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 268–271.
| Western Australian students’ alcohol consumption and expenditure intentions for Schoolies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kleve S, Davidson ZE, Gearon E, Booth S, Palermo C (2017) Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006–2009. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 249–256.
| Are low-to-middle-income households experiencing food insecurity in Victoria, Australia? An examination of the Victorian Population Health Survey, 2006–2009.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Leidel S, Leslie G, Boldy D, Davies A, Girdler S (2017) ‘We didn’t have to dance around it’: opt-out HIV testing among homeless and marginalised patients. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 278–283.
| ‘We didn’t have to dance around it’: opt-out HIV testing among homeless and marginalised patients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McFarlane K, Devine S, Judd J, Nichols N, Watt K (2017) Workforce insights on how health promotion is practised in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 243–248.
| Workforce insights on how health promotion is practised in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Smith K, Fatima Y, Knight S (2017) Are primary healthcare services culturally appropriate for Aboriginal people? Findings from a remote community. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 236–242.
| Are primary healthcare services culturally appropriate for Aboriginal people? Findings from a remote community.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thomas S, Crooks K, Taylor K, Massey PD, Williams R, Pearce G (2017) Reducing recurrence of bacterial skin infections in Aboriginal children in rural communities: new ways of thinking, new ways of working. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 229–235.
| Reducing recurrence of bacterial skin infections in Aboriginal children in rural communities: new ways of thinking, new ways of working.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Turbitt E, Kunin M, Gafforini S, Freed GL (2017) Motivators and barriers for paediatricians discharging patients. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 284–287.
| Motivators and barriers for paediatricians discharging patients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Turner LR, Pearce C, Borg M, McLeod A, Shearer M, Mazza D (2017) Characteristics of patients presenting to an after-hours clinic: results of a MAGNET analysis. Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, 294–299.
| Characteristics of patients presenting to an after-hours clinic: results of a MAGNET analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
