Can the Cardiac ARIA Index Improve Cardiac Care for Australia's Indigenous Population?
Date
2011
Authors
Clark, R.
Coffee, N.
Turner, D.
Eckert, K.
Smail, T.
Stewart, S.
Wilkinson, D.
Tonkin, A.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Conference item
Citation
Heart Lung and Circulation, 2011, vol.20, iss.Suppl. 1, pp.S9-S10
Statement of Responsibility
Robyn Clark, Neil Coffee, Dorothy Turner, Tricia Smail, Simon Stewart, David Wilkinson, Andrew Tonkin
Conference Name
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Indigenous Cardiovascular Health Conference (16 Jun 2011 - 18 Jun 2011 : Alice Springs Convention Centre, Alice Springs, Australia)
Abstract
Background: Timely access to appropriate cardiac care is critical for optimising outcomes. Our aim was to derive an objective, comparable, geographic measure reflecting access to cardiac services for Australia’s 20,387 population locations. Methods: An expert panel defined a single patient care pathway. Using geographic information systems (GIS) the numeric/alpha index was modelled in two phases. The acute phase index (numeric) ranged from 1 (access to ter- tiary centre with PCI ≤1 h) to 8 (no ambulance service, >3 h to medical facility, air transport required). The after- care index was modelled into 5 alphabetic categories; A (Access to general practitioner, pharmacy, cardiac rehabil- itation, pathology ≤1 h) to E (no services available within 1 h). Results: Approximately 70% or 13.9 million people lived within a Cardiac ARIA index category 1A location. Dis- parity continues in access to category 1A cardiac services for 5.8 million (30%) of all Australians, 60% of Aborigi- nal and Torres Strait Islander people and 32% of people over 65 years of age. In a cardiac emergency only 40% of the Indigenous population reside within one hour of category 1 hospital. Approximately 30% (81,491 Indige- nous persons) are more than one to three hours from basic cardiac services. Conclusion: Geographically, the majority of Australian’s have timely access for survival of a cardiac event. The Cardiac ARIA index objectively demonstrates that the healthcare system may not be providing for the needs of 60% of Indigenous people residing outside the 1A geographic radius. Innovative clinical practice maybe required to address these disparities.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Abstract #22
Access Status
Rights
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of The Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons and The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand