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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12620000297921
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
19/12/2019
Date registered
4/03/2020
Date last updated
22/06/2022
Date data sharing statement initially provided
4/03/2020
Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
The role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officers in acute health care
Scientific title
Aboriginal health workers' and liaison officers' role in quality acute health care services
Secondary ID [1] 300061 0
APP1143222
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Health Services 315592 0
Condition category
Condition code
Public Health 313886 313886 0 0
Health service research

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Observational
Patient registry
False
Target follow-up duration
Target follow-up type
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
This is an observational study and will occur in five phases.

Phase 1: Establishment Phase
The research will be established in three tertiary hospitals in three states (South Australia, New South Wales and Northern Territory) in Australia. Establishment will involve ethics and governance applications, recruitment of staff and formalising connections with sites and key stakeholders for this work. A Project Steering Committee (PSC), composed of key stakeholders for this work , will be developed to provide direction and advice to the project team and will play a key role in the modification of data collection tools, data analysis, synthesis of findings and the translation and dissemination of findings.

Phase 2: Yarning Phase
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and liaison officers working at the three sites will be invited to participate in a yarning session with the site-specific researcher about their experiences working in their role. Yarns will take 30 minutes to one hour, depending on how much the participant decides to share about their working experience(s).

Phase 3: Dadirri and photovoice phase
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in hospitals in the three sites will be invited to participate in a Dadirri (deep listening) session with the site based researcher about their experience in the hospital and the hospital system more widely. They will also be asked to take photos of their experience in hospital. Dadirri is a deep listening, Indigenous methodology based on traditional forms of deep listening. Dadirri sessions will take 30 minutes to one hour to complete, depending on how much the participant decides to share about their experience(s).

Phase 4: Patient Journey Phase
Patient Journey Mapping methodology will be adapted to incorporate quality indicators for acute health care and will be used to identify both issues in and solutions for a patient’s journey through the acute health care system. Patients from Phase 3 will also be invited to participate in this Phase (however some participants in Phase 4 may not have participated in Phase 3).

Phase 5: Survey and semi-structured interview phase
Health professionals and managers working at the three sites will be invited to participate in an online, quantitative survey about their experiences working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Liaison Officers. The survey will take 20 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on how descriptive participants are in their responses to the survey. Participants will be offered the option to also participate in a semi-structured interview about their experiences.

Response to additional queries that do not fit in the text above:
--Please note there is no set time during which researchers will observe participants. Observation is only during the time researchers have with participants (eg the yarning or Dadirri session).
--As stated above, some of the participants in Phase 4 may be the same as those in Phase 3. However some may also be different. The participants in Phases 2 and 5 are completely independent from each other and the other phases.
Intervention code [1] 316341 0
Not applicable
Comparator / control treatment
No control group
Control group
Uncontrolled

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 322274 0
Yarns with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and liaison officers. Collected using a Yarning Guide to be developed by the team and Project Steering Committee.

The yarns will investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers' and Liaison Officers' experiences working with Aboriginal people in the acute care system.

These outcomes will be assessed using the transcripts obtained from the yarn with each participants.
Timepoint [1] 322274 0
Between 0 and 3 months post ethics approval
Primary outcome [2] 322275 0
Dadirri sessions with patients (data will be collected using a Dadirri question guide, to be developed by the project team in conjunction with the Project Steering Committee),
Patient experience in the hospital (including experience with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Liaison Officers) is the information being collected here.
Timepoint [2] 322275 0
Between 0 and 6 months post yarning sessions with Aboriginal Liaison Officers
Primary outcome [3] 322276 0
Survey data from health professionals about their experiences working with Aboriginal health workers and liaison officers in hospitals. A survey (still to be developed) will be used to capture this information.
Timepoint [3] 322276 0
Between 0 and 6 months post Dadirri and Photovoice activities
Secondary outcome [1] 377940 0
Please note this is a primary outcome

Photovoice activity with patients (this could be photos of experiences in hospital and/ or photos of artwork/ drawings depicting a patient's experience).

Patients take photos and then the Darrin question guide (developed specifically for this study) is used to draw out discussions about the photos, artwork or drawings that depict the patient’s hospital experiences.
Timepoint [1] 377940 0
Between 0 and 6 months post yarning sessions with Aboriginal Liaison Officers
Secondary outcome [2] 379376 0
This is a primary outcome
Semi-structured interview data from a subset of those who complete the survey with further exploration into the same topic. This will be captured through a semi-structured interview guide (questions) to be developed at a later date.
The topic to be explored in these interviews is experiences of health professionals working with Aboriginal liaison officers in hospitals.
Timepoint [2] 379376 0
Between 0 and 3 month post survey
Secondary outcome [3] 379377 0
Please note this is a primary outcome

Patient journey maps, collected using Patient Journey Mapping tools. Information will be gathered for this activity through patient case notes, Dadirri transcripts and the photos/ artwork (obtained from the photovoice activity). The patient’s journey (defined as the patient's movement through the hosp[ital system) to and from the hospital, their experiences is then mapped using Patient Journey Mapping Tools.
Timepoint [3] 379377 0
Between 0 and 3 months post Dadirri and photovoice activities

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Phase 1: Establishment
N/A

Phase 2: Yarning
Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander health worker and/ or liaison officer working in one of the three hospitals in one of the three project sites (South Australia, Northern Territory or New South Wales) during the study time frame

Phase 3: Dadirri and photovoice
Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander patient admitted to one of the three hospitals in one of the three project sites (South Australia, Northern Territory or New South Wales) during the study time frame and is medically stable

Phase 4: Patient journey mapping
As for Phase 3

Phase 5: Survey and semi-structured interview
Health professional (doctor, nurse or allied health) working in one of the three hospitals in one of the three project sites (South Australia, Northern Territory or New South Wales) during the study time frame
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
Yes
Key exclusion criteria
Phase 1: Establishment
N/A

Phase 2: Yarning
N/A

Phase 3: Dadirri and photovoice
Patient is medically unstable

Phase 4: Patient journey mapping
As for Phase 3

Phase 5: Survey and semi-structured interview
N/A

Study design
Purpose
Psychosocial
Duration
Cross-sectional
Selection
Defined population
Timing
Both
Statistical methods / analysis
Data will be analysed using a collaborative approach by the project team at regular team meetings and at two intensive data analysis workshops in years 2 and 4 of the study. The qualitative data will be coded by both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, independently and then collectively.
NVivo software will be used to facilitate the data analysis and coding process. The quantitative data derived from the survey will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Patient journey mapping is a process analysis which will be done collaboratively by the team to identify the parts of the patient journey where quality was achieved and where it was not and the factors contributing to this.

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Recruiting
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
9/03/2020
Actual
9/03/2020
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
31/10/2022
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
30/11/2022
Actual
Sample size
Target
155
Accrual to date
20
Final
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
NSW,NT,SA

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 304513 0
Government body
Name [1] 304513 0
National Health and Medical Research Council
Country [1] 304513 0
Australia
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
Flinders University
Address
Sturt Road, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
Country
Australia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 304781 0
None
Name [1] 304781 0
Address [1] 304781 0
Country [1] 304781 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 304944 0
Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [1] 304944 0
220 Franklin Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Ethics committee country [1] 304944 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 304944 0
16/08/2018
Approval date [1] 304944 0
20/09/2018
Ethics approval number [1] 304944 0
04-18-786
Ethics committee name [2] 304956 0
Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [2] 304956 0
c/o Southern Adelaide Local Health Network Office of Research
Flinders Medical Centre
Flinders Drive
Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
Ethics committee country [2] 304956 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [2] 304956 0
11/04/2019
Approval date [2] 304956 0
18/07/2019
Ethics approval number [2] 304956 0
HREC/19/SAC/89
Ethics committee name [3] 304957 0
Central Australian Health Research Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [3] 304957 0
c/o Centre for Remote Health
Cnr Simpson and Skinner Streets
The Gap NT 0870
Ethics committee country [3] 304957 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [3] 304957 0
26/06/2019
Approval date [3] 304957 0
29/08/2019
Ethics approval number [3] 304957 0
CA-19-3453
Ethics committee name [4] 304958 0
Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [4] 304958 0
35 Harvey Street
Little Bay NSW 2036
Ethics committee country [4] 304958 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [4] 304958 0
16/07/2019
Approval date [4] 304958 0
12/11/2019
Ethics approval number [4] 304958 0
1556/19

Summary
Brief summary
This project aims to improve the quality of acute health care services provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, in line with the Australian Safety and Quality Framework for Health Care (ASQFHC) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Improvement Framework (ATSIQIF). Based across three sites (Flinders Medical Centre SA, Alice Springs Hospital NT and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital NSW), this project will highlight the immensely important role of Aboriginal liaison officers, strengthen the capability of the Aboriginal health research workforce, privilege the voices of Aboriginal people in research and ultimately improve health for Aboriginal patients in the acute care setting by improving the effectiveness of the acute care provided
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 98718 0
A/Prof Tamara Mackean
Address 98718 0
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Country 98718 0
Australia
Phone 98718 0
+61 872218467
Fax 98718 0
+61872218424
Email 98718 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 98719 0
A/Prof Tamara Mackean
Address 98719 0
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Country 98719 0
Australia
Phone 98719 0
+61 872218467
Fax 98719 0
+61872218424
Email 98719 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 98720 0
A/Prof Tamara Mackean
Address 98720 0
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Country 98720 0
Australia
Phone 98720 0
+61 872218467
Fax 98720 0
+61872218424
Email 98720 0
[email protected]

Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
No
No/undecided IPD sharing reason/comment
Data from this study are primarily narrative and qualitative and consist of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker and liaison officer and patient stories, as well as other health professional stories. It is not appropriate to make these stories publicly available.


What supporting documents are/will be available?

Doc. No.TypeCitationLinkEmailOther DetailsAttachment
6226Study protocol https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=aihjournal  Protocol published



Results publications and other study-related documents

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No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.