Foundation Chair in Speech Pathology, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Executive Director, Neurological Council of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2021 Sep 29;22:e49. doi: 10.1017/S1463423621000396.
Brain injury, resulting from stroke and traumatic brain injury, is a common occurrence in Australia, with Aboriginal people affected at a significant rate and impact felt by individuals, families and communities. Access to brain injury rehabilitation services for Aboriginal people is reported to be often limited, with very little support outside the hospital environment. Our research involving Aboriginal brain injury survivors and their families to date has revealed that people often manage 'on their own' following such events. Following recommendations from survivors and their families, the Healing Right Way clinical trial, currently underway in Western Australia, has created the role of Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator (ABIC) to assist in navigating information and services, particularly after discharge from hospital. Eight positions for this role have been instigated across metropolitan and rural regions in the state. Healing Right Way's aim is to enhance rehabilitation services and improve quality of life for Aboriginal Australians after brain injury. The ABIC's role is to provide education, support, liaison and advocacy services to participants and their families over a six-month period, commencing soon after the participant's stroke or injury has occurred. This paper outlines the development of this role, the partnerships involved, experiences to date and identifies some facilitators and barriers encountered that may impact the role's ongoing sustainability. Details of components of the planned full Process Evaluation of Healing Right Way related to the ABIC role and the partnerships surrounding it are also provided. In combination with the trial's ultimate results, this detail will assist in future service planning and provide a model of culturally secure care for stroke and brain injury services that can also inform other sub-acute and primary care models.
脑损伤，源自中风和外伤性脑损伤，在澳大利亚较为常见，其在原住民群体中的发病率和影响率都很高，对个人、家庭和社区都有影响。据报道，原住民获得脑损伤康复服务的机会往往有限，在医院环境之外几乎得不到什么支持。我们目前的研究涉及到原住民脑损伤幸存者及其家庭，研究表明，此类事件发生后，人们往往只能“自行应对”。根据幸存者及其家庭的建议，目前正在西澳大利亚州进行的“正确康复之路”临床试验设立了原住民脑损伤协调员（ABIC）这一角色，以协助在信息和服务方面提供帮助，特别是在出院后。该州已在城市和农村地区设立了 8 个该职位。“正确康复之路”的目标是增强脑损伤后澳大利亚原住民的康复服务和生活质量。ABIC 的角色是在参与者中风或受伤后六个月内向其及其家人提供教育、支持、联络和宣传服务。本文概述了该角色的发展、涉及的合作伙伴关系、迄今为止的经验，并确定了一些可能影响该角色持续可持续性的促成因素和障碍。还提供了与 ABIC 角色及其周边合作伙伴关系相关的“正确康复之路”计划全面过程评估的详细信息。结合试验的最终结果，这些细节将有助于未来的服务规划，并为中风和脑损伤服务提供一种文化安全护理模式，也可以为其他亚急性和初级保健模式提供参考。
