Cancer Screening among Aboriginal Indigenous People in Australia

This report discusses the identification of the Aboriginal Indigenous community in Australia for cancer screening, highlighting their key characteristics and the rationale for selecting them. It also explores the ways in which nurses can work in partnership with this community, using a strength-based approach. The report emphasizes the importance of early cancer screening and the challenges faced by this community.

CANCER SCREENING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART A...........................................................................................................................................1
Identification of community in Australia and their key characteristics along with rationale for
selecting the same.......................................................................................................................1
PART B............................................................................................................................................3
The ways in which nurses work in partnership manner with the Aboriginal Indigenous people
and community............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Cancer screening is a kind of testing for cancer before any person has any symptoms.
Screening cancer that enables a patient to find cancer at primary stage before even appearance of
symptoms. When any tissues are found early it might be easier to treat or cure the disease with
limited efforts (Butler and et.al., 2020). By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have
grown and spread. This report is based upon the concept of cancer screening among the
community which has been chosen the Aboriginals people of Australia through which it will be
identified that what are the characteristics of choosing this community along with the reason
behind the same. Apart from this, the study will also highlight the ways in which the nurses can
work in collaborative manner with the Aboriginals using strength based approach.
PART A
Identification of community in Australia and their key characteristics along with rationale for
selecting the same
Within the Australia, there are national population based screening programs for
different kind of cancers such as cervical cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer. Indigenous
Australians participate into the Breast screen Australia and the National Bowel Cancer screening
programme at a lower rate rather than the non indigenous Australians. Indigenous people within
the Australian community have higher incidence rates for various kind of cancer including those
which can be detected early or prevented with the help of organized screening programs.
Enhanced participation and retention in cancer screening is highly crucial to improve population
health final results amongst indigenous people (Tervonen and et.al., 2019). The Aboriginal
community has been chosen for this specific screening illustrates that Australian indigenous
women have highly experienced the burden of cervical cancer than other women. It is all
because of the reason that the National Cervical screening programme is failing in order to meet
the requirements of Indigenous people. However, one third of the Australian indigenous women
had participated into the cancer screening. The reason behind it includes that some women into
such population continue and commence to screen remain unheard but could also provide
insights to support other women who currently do not participate.
Apart from this, from detailed evaluation it had been evaluated that indigenous women in
Australia are facing additional structure barriers to cervical screening which demonstrates that
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the Australian Cervical screening program does not meet the requirements and preferences of
indigenous women. In this various structural barriers exists with systematic disadvantages
persistent. While on the other hand it is not necessarily experienced by all the indigenous
women. The barriers might include lack of cultural awareness, racism along with sensitivity
among health professionals (D'onise, Iacobini and Canuto, 2020). It moreover includes lack of
culturally appropriate communication available through reminder messages and promotional
material mistreatment, etc. which lead towards destruct of great health services as well as
institutions which also having perceived lack of confidentiality in services because of
relationship (Hla and et.al., 2020). There are various factors that enhance the indigenous women
access to cancer are documented less but various studies suggests that some enabling factors
include having access to the dedicated women health program and a choice of watching female
practitioner.
Moreover, this specific community are at high level of risks because these people are
suffering from obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, dietary, behaviours as well as not
meeting physical activity guidelines along with in order to get appropriate and suitable health
care facilities among the society of Australia (Bryant and et.al., 2021). Apart from this, it has
also been identified that Indigenous people are more likely to face disease burden in all aspects
of health which includes cancer related diseases as well. Cancer survivals are lower for
independent Australians as it has been diagnosed that cancer patients among the period of 2009
to 2019 had a 40% chances of surviving for at least 5 years which was highly lower than the
level of indigenous people among the Australia (Nash and Arora, 2021).
In addition to this, fewer cancer related hospitalizations occurred for indigenous
Australians as they are the ones who are less likely to be hospitalized for a principle diagnosis of
cancer as compared with other Australians although they had longer hospitalizations than other
Australians. They also have higher rates of certain lifestyle risk factors which can be partly
explained some cancer incidences as well as mortality patterns which includes varied other
cancer as well which includes liver cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer in
females (Tapia and et.al., 2019). Indigenous Australians are at higher level of risks in order to
consider new cancer cases that are being diagnosed than non indigenous Australians after
evaluation of the age standardization data. And thus, this specific community is highly required
to be chosen for research in order to make cancer screening so that the final outcome will be
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gathered in most successful manner in context of providing alternative and effectual solutions to
them to treat their cause and after effects of the disease.
PART B
The ways in which nurses work in partnership manner with the Aboriginal Indigenous people
and community
A strength based approach and lens are essential for the pursuit of health equity among
indigenous populations. However, the health professionals are the ones who taught and
supported into the practice with the help of deficit based approach that perpetuate the inequity of
indigenous people. Working appropriately with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is
highly significant in order to increase the appropriateness of health care interactions between
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or patients and a health professionals (Ho-
Huynh and et.al., 2022). The intention of working in collaborative manner illustrates that in
order to build effective and ongoing relationships with Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander
communities, groups and organizations and specifically nurses that represent or provide services
to these populations. This will enable the nurses to identify priorities, understand culture beliefs
and practices, which also involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to
determine their health priorities.
For the health service establishments to move beyond the tokenistic relationship and
towards working into true partnership requires meaningful engagement and understanding with
huigh level of commitment to building and creating mutually beneficial relationships. There are
varied evidences presented which illustrates that Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander community
people have limited amount of access to appropriate services (Cameron, Magno and Gillespie,
2021). Thus, the nurses into the health service organizations should work into the partnership
manner to improve accessibility to care, especially for individuals who required to access
available services but do not currently do so. In order to better understand the requirements and
desires of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander community people and provide them effectual
and controlled health services, the nurses work in partnership manner effectively with local
communities (Tapia and et.al., 2019). There are certain advantages that has been gained by
Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities to bring about the changes which is likely to
provide and make them succeed if they follow certain cultural principles such as:
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 Gaining trust is the primal part for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities and the
starting point for partnerships.
 More can be achieved when partnerships and relationships are equitable and build over
mutual benefits (Mazereeuw and et.al., 2018).
 Relationships will be highly respectful if efforts are being prepared to identify the right
and required community along with creating groups to find suitable approaches.
 Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities are diverse in nature and interact in order
to enable culturally suitable ways of working and sharing understandings.
 English might be the distant language for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities
as they are unable to understand the language and thus requires services in combination
manner (M Bernardes and et.al., 2020).
 High level of time and resources are invested in order to ensure that relationships are
effective and most sustainable in nature.
 Partnerships can be strengthened when they are developed at all levels of the
establishment and include decision making bodies.
Thus, working in collaborative and combined manner helps them to increase or improve
their communication between health service organization, create great level of understanding
among the care professionals and patient, improved health literacy and compliance with
appropriate treatment programs as well as care plans, increased self determination of
communities, with the help of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities into the health
service establishment, creates great sense of connection to health service organization and
nurses, improved access to appropriate services as well as programs that meet the requirements
of individuals and communities, etc. (Feletto and et.al., 2020) Thus, it will highly helpful in
order to make the health care professionals to work in combined manner towards the betterment
of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities and in context of cancer screening as well,
they work in highly appreciable manner and promote health awareness among the indigenous
people as well which further improves the statistics and figures about the people having issues
related to cancer among the indigenous people (Green and et.al., 2021).
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CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that cancer screening at early stages are
highly required and essential in order to provide appropriate and suitable services to the patients.
In the above study, it has been illustrated that Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities are
the ones who are facing great level of problems regarding the overall health related issues and
specifically Cancer issues. Thus, this requires collaborative working of nurses in order to deal
with the same challenges and promote awareness among them.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bryant, J. and et.al., 2021. Cancer Screening Interventions in Indigenous Populations: A Rapid
Review. Current Oncology, 28(3), pp.1728-1743.
Butler, T.L. and et.al., 2020. Indigenous Australian women's experiences of participation in
cervical screening. PloS one, 15(6), p.e0234536.
Cameron, J., Magno, M. and Gillespie, J., 2021. Community Connections-Community-Led
Cancer Screening Project. International Journal of Integrated Care, 20(3).
D'onise, K., Iacobini, E.T. and Canuto, K.J., 2020. Colorectal cancer screening using faecal
occult blood tests for Indigenous adults: a systematic literature review of barriers,
enablers and implemented strategies. Preventive medicine, 134, p.106018.
Feletto, E. and et.al., 2020. Pathways to a cancer-free future: a protocol for modelled evaluations
to minimise the future burden of colorectal cancer in Australia. BMJ open, 10(6),
p.e036475.
Green, M. and et.al., 2021. Measuring cancer care experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in Australia: Trial of a new approach that privileges patient
voices. Patient Experience Journal, 8(2), pp.43-57.
Hla, T.K. and et.al., 2020. A “one stop liver shop” approach improves the cascade-of-care for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians living with chronic hepatitis B in the
Northern Territory of Australia: results of a novel care delivery model. International
journal for equity in health, 19(1), pp.1-7.
Ho-Huynh, A.H.N. and et.al., 2022. Achieving High Breast Cancer Survival for Women in
Rural and Remote Areas. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 23(1), pp.101-
107.
M Bernardes, C. and et.al., 2020. Empowering voice through the creation of a safe space: an
experience of aboriginal women in regional Queensland. International journal of
environmental research and public health, 17(5), p.1476.
Mazereeuw, M.V. and et.al., 2018. Cancer incidence and survival among Métis adults in
Canada: results from the Canadian census follow-up cohort (1992–
2009). Cmaj, 190(11), pp.E320-E326.
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Nash, S. and Arora, A., 2021. Interventions to improve health literacy among Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples: a systematic review. BMC public health, 21(1), pp.1-15.
Tapia, K.A. and et.al., 2019. Breast screening attendance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women in the Northern Territory of Australia. Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Public Health, 43(4), pp.334-339.
Tapia, K.A. and et.al., 2019. Breast screening attendance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women in the Northern Territory of Australia. Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Public Health, 43(4), pp.334-339.
Tervonen, H.E. and et.al., 2019. Differences in cancer incidence by age at diagnosis between
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people for cancer types included in Australian national
screening programs. Cancer Epidemiology, 60, pp.102-105.
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