The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework
Since 2006, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) reports have provided information about Indigenous Australians’ health outcomes, key drivers of health and the performance of the health system.
The HPF was designed, in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholder groups, to promote accountability, inform policy and research, and foster informed debate about Indigenous Australians’ health.
The HPF reporting process is overseen by a Steering Committee made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and other stakeholders. These include:
- an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person as Chair
- the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
- a Torres Strait Islander representative
- the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- the National Indigenous Australians Agency
- the Australian Government Department of Health
- two state health departments
- epidemiologists
The design of the HPF recognises that the health system and factors beyond the health sector contribute to health outcomes, and that achieving better health outcomes requires a whole-of-government approach, working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (AHMAC 2006).
Information from HPF reporting has been used, in part, to monitor progress towards achieving Australian governments’ Closing the Gap health targets and the Implementation Plan goals for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023 (Department of Health 2019).
A key theme from the research is the importance of culturally competent service delivery, and the need to partner with and share decision-making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the design of services and programs that affect them.
While there are organisations across sectors that provide culturally competent services to Indigenous Australians, the HPF highlights the crucial role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. These services provide comprehensive, culturally appropriate and safe primary health care services for Indigenous Australians throughout their lives.
The HPF also highlights where mainstream services are not adequately meeting the needs of Indigenous Australians, or where there are service gaps.
The Cultural safety in health care for Indigenous Australians: monitoring framework aims to measure progress in achieving cultural safety in the Australian health system by bringing together data focusing on:
- culturally respectful health care services
- patient experience of health care among Indigenous Australians
- access to health care (AIHW 2019a).