We are passionate about better understanding and responding to the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our research identifies and seeks to address the disconnect between health services and health promotion programs that are currently available and those that are specifically designed for and working for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

One example is existing fall prevention programs for older people. Injuries and hospitalisation caused by falls is an issue as we age. However, there is little known about how existing fall prevention programs are accepted or effectively assist older Aboriginal people. Through collaborative research with older people in Aboriginal communities, new co-designed programs are receiving significantly higher uptake. Research continues to evaluate and extend the reach of these community-based and Aboriginal-focused fall prevention programs. This collaborative approach is utilised across our diverse research in this area.

Flinders is not only committed to research in medical diagnosis and treatments but improving the organisation and delivery of these health services. We are conducting research to ensure primary care is provided more effectively so we can extend the health benefits to more people. 

Our research evaluates and develops a wide range of health service models and programs. One recent application is our research looking at incentives for GPs to provide longer consultations. There is growing evidence overseas supporting longer GP consultations and proactive patient follow-up for better health outcomes. Our research is testing whether these can also be generalised to an Australian context to help inform public policy. Understanding interventions in relation to Australian communities is an important step forward to improve the organisation and delivery of health services and is one part of our research in this area.

Seven million Australians (29% of the population) live in rural or remote communities. Health indicators for these communities are consistently lower than their metropolitan counterparts, and we are conducting research to address this. We are looking at the full range of health challenges facing Australians and investigating the relevance and effectiveness of existing services and programs for remote and rural communities. 

One area of research is dementia care in the country. Our researchers are working with five aged care homes in rural locations in South Australia and Far North Queensland to implement and evaluate a music and art therapy program based on individual preferences and personalised care. This program was created with co-design principles to support ageing Australians and provide useful tools to help rural aged care workers who face unique challenges in providing care.

Our research is building an understanding and awareness of the effects of people’s circumstances and actions on their health, with a focus on reducing inequalities in health. Across our wide range of research in public health, one of the ways we do this is to put a health lens on public policy.

Over five years, our researchers examined the effectiveness of the government’s Health in All Policies initiative in South Australia. An investigation was done to see if approaching health and wellbeing in sectors other than health provided the expected improvements in health equity. Case studies examined included applying a health lens to non-health programs such as road safety in Aboriginal communities, raising engagement of parents reading to young children, sustaining regional development in the Upper Spencer Gulf and international students’ wellbeing. Recommendations and key messages were developed and rolled out via forums and briefings to key academics, public sector officers and policy decision-makers in support of growing these initiatives.

Our researchers are using health data to minimise and prevent injury and disease and promote better health. We are building baseline data and analysing data linkages to better understand health and the effectiveness of health services and programs.  

One such application is our research looking at the costs of injury, surveying causes of injury and looking at methods to measure the severity of injury from administration data. We are building understanding about injury and looking to enhance data linkage capabilities to improve injury research outcomes and techniques for injury prevention in a healthcare setting.