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Yes, we need to Close the Gap on health. But many patients won’t tell hospitals they’re Indigenous for fear of poorer care
The federal government recently announced 16 Closing the Gap targets, seen by some as a policy re-set for yet another “once in a generation” chance to address Indigenous disadvantage.
But one barrier Indigenous people still face when accessing health care remains under-discussed: some are so concerned about how they will be treated in hospital, they don’t identify as Indigenous when asked.
There needs to be further investigation into why this is happening, or there will be more missed targets in the Government's endeavour to close the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The responsibility for accurately counting Indigenous patients falls on the service provider. The beliefs, knowledge, attitudes and skills of staff (clinical and administrative) may be instrumental in determining how accurately Indigenous patients are counted.
Read the full article on The Conversation.
