Supporting Allied Health professionals in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Michelle Barrett1 1Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet
Abstract
Over the past 25 years the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (HealthInfoNet) has contributed to ‘closing the gap’ in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians by making knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health readily available to the health workforce and the general public. As a free web resource, the HealthInfoNet can also be displayed on digital platforms such as mobile phones or tablets, making it highly accessible at any time, to inform policy and practice. Information is sorted into various health topic portals, as well as a dedicated portal for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, and a Cultural Safety for Health Professionals portal, which contains information and resources related to the 16 AHPRA-registered health professions.
The HealthInfoNet’s free knowledge exchange products, such as comprehensive health topic reviews and multimedia resources, also help to make research and other information available in a way that has immediate and practical utility. These, and all other resources on the website, can be downloaded for printing or for use on a device, making it a particularly valuable source of information for medical practices in remote communities.
This presentation will provide an overview of the work of the HealthInfoNet and highlight how those working in Allied Health can use the HealthInfoNet to inform their professional practice in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. A brief demonstration will show users how to access resources on one of the relevant portals for Allied Health professionals.
Biography
Michelle Barrett is a Research Officer with the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, based at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Michelle’s primary research responsibilities include managing the Environmental Health Portal, as well as working in a small team on the Health Workers, Cultural Ways, and WA State Portals. She also maintains the topics of Injury and Oral Health. Prior to joining the HealthInfoNet, Michelle taught for 14 years in academia within the Social Sciences, including within the areas of Social Inequality, Human Rights, and International and Community Development. She has a doctorate in Anthropology and History from Curtin University.