title: Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care: the first 18 months of a specialist respiratory outreach service to rural and remote Indigenous communities in Queensland, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Indigenous Australians. However, there are limited approaches to specialist respiratory care in rural and remote communities that are culturally appropriate. A specialist Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care (IROC) program, developed to address this gap, is described.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of the present study was to implement, pilot and evaluate multidisciplinary specialist respiratory outreach medical teams in rural and remote Indigenous communities in Queensland, Australia. Sites were identified based on a perception of unmet need, burden of respiratory disease and/or capacity to use the clinical service and capacity building for support offered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IROC commenced in March 2011 and, to date, has been implemented in 13 communities servicing a population of approximately 43000 Indigenous people. Clinical service delivery has been possible through community engagement and capacity building initiatives directed by community protocols.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IROC is a culturally sensitive and sustainable model for adult and paediatric specialist outreach respiratory services that may be transferrable to Indigenous communities across Queensland and Australia.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Level 4, Foundation Building, Herston Road, Herston, 4029, Qld, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Linda G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Medlin
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Level 4, Foundation Building, Herston Road, Herston, 4029, Qld, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Kwun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Queensland Childrenâ??s Health Services, Level 5, Woolworths Building, Herston Road, Herston, Qld 4029, Australia. Email:
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Adult Community Health, Helensvale Community Health Centre, 105 Lindfield Road, Helensvale, Qld 4212, Australia. Email:
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: The Prince Charles Hospital, Pulmonary Malignancy Unit, Thoracic Medicine, Chermside, Qld 4032, Australia.Email:
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Deb C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Cairns Base Hospital, PO Box 902, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia. Email:
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Level 4, Foundation Building, Herston Road, Herston, 4029, Qld, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Kerry-Ann F
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: O'Grady
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011793:Queensland; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013038:Specialization