title: Effectiveness of the Koorliny Moort out-of-hospital health care program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the Koorliny Moort program could reduce emergency department presentations, hospital admissions and length of stay, and improve attendance at out-of-hospital appointments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children were enrolled in the program from 1 August 2012. Each child acted as their own control. Evaluation data were collected from 1 August 2010 to 31 July 2014. Occasions of service and person-time in days were compared for each child before and after referral to the program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aboriginal children aged 0-16 years residing in three WA regions (Kimberley, Pilbara, Perth metropolitan) who were referred to the Koorliny Moort program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Partnerships with primary care providers; nurse-led care coordination; and outreach care by paediatricians, nurses and social workers closer to the home of the child.
  
  
  METHODS
  Emergency department presentations; hospital admissions; length of hospital stay; non-attended appointments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 942 children were referred to the program. There were significant decreases after referral to the program in the incidence of emergency department presentations (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.47; 95% CI, 0.43-0.53; P < 0.001), of hospitalisation (IRR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.62-0.79; P < 0.001), and of non-attended appointments (IRR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74-0.94; P < 0.001), as well as in the mean length of hospital stay (IRR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.21-0.25; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-seeking behaviour and health outcomes for Aboriginal children can be improved by engaging Aboriginal families in their health care, providing effective communication between health service providers, and delivering a coordinated program of Aboriginal service provider-led care.
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA kimberley.mcauley@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cresp
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Kimberley E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McAuley
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McAullay
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Moylan
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Gervase Ml
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Chaney
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Angus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Edmond
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D065246:Culturally Competent Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration; D044382:Population Groups; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014600:Utilization Review; D014904:Western Australia; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples