title: Indigenous health - a role for private general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy gap is associated with lower primary care usage by Indigenous Australians. Many Indigenous Australians regard private general practitioners as their usual source of healthcare. However, a range of barriers results in relatively low access to primary care, with subsequent inadequate prevention and management of chronic disease. Indigenous primary care requires development of a set of attributes by the GP. Clinician autonomy may need to be tempered to be responsive to the needs of local indigenous communities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A partnership between an urban indigenous community and a private general practice is described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over a period of 1 year, registered indigenous patients at the private general practice clinic increased from 10 to 147; monthly attendance increased from five to 40 (p<0.001). Local engagement between private practices and indigenous communities may be implemented widely to reduce the primary care gap.
authors.affiliation: Majellan Medical Centre, Scarborough, Queensland, Australia. p-johans@bigpond.net.au
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Johanson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D058006:General Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D058005:General Practitioners; D006295:Health Resources / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010819:Physician's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011331:Private Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011793:Queensland; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors