Implementing a chronic disease strategy in two remote Indigenous Australian settings: A multi‐method pilot evaluation

Abstract

To test an evaluation framework designed to evaluate implementation of the North Queensland Indigenous communities between August and December 2005. Both communities are located in Cape York, North Queensland. Community A has an estimated population of around 600 people; Community B has an enumerated population of 750, although health centre records indicate a higher number. Process evaluation involved health centre staff in both communities; clinical audits used random samples from the adult population (each sample n = 30); ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with resident population. Health centre scores and qualitative findings using a System Assessment Tool; clinical audits--extent to which scheduled services recorded; selected primary health performance indicators; qualitative ethnographic findings. On almost all indicators, implementation of NQICDS had progressed further in Community A than in Community B; however, some common issues emerged, especially lack of linkages between health centres and other groups, and lack of support for client self-management. The evaluation framework is an effective and acceptable framework for monitoring implementation of the NQICDS at the primary health centre level.