Reducing systemic inequity in health services in prisons for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
June 2023
Staff:
Dr Jocelyn Jones
Other investigators:
Professor Tony Butler
Project description:
This research aims to assess the feasibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) accessing selected Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items to provide a sustainable funding model for holistic and culturally appropriate health care delivery in Australian prisons.
Funded by the Ian Potter Foundation, the project’s research objectives are:
- Understand the extent ACCHO delivered MBS services are acceptable to Indigenous prisoners and staff.
- Determine how much demand is likely to exist for selected MBS services.
- Determine the extent MBS services are delivered in a practical and cost-effective manner.
- Describe the perceived level of fit and integration of selected MBS services with ACCHOs and prison systems.
- Understand what modifications may be required so this MBS services delivery model can be adapted to different prisons or patient populations.
- Identify opportunities and challenges to upscaling this MBS services delivery model.