Research, evidence and practice

Evidence-based practice is an approach to care that encourages clinicians to use the best available evidence and critically apply it to the individual patient’s circumstances and preferences in clinical practice. In the era of evidenced-based practice, research is a vital component of current and future health practice.

There has been a rapid growth in published research which can make it difficult for health professionals to be aware of all the latest evidence. The following resources make it easier to find evidence relevant to palliative care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

• CareSearch Quick Search provides one click searching for palliative care literature, and includes a search specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander palliative care
• CareSearch Systematic Review Collection provides a section listing systematic reviews relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• CareSearch Grey Literature Search provides easy searching of a database that captures palliative care information and evidence that can be hard to find (e.g. from conference abstracts, theses, and non-indexed journals)
• LItSearch at the Lowitja Institute provides one click searching for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health literature
• PHC Search Filter provides one click search for primary health care literature
• Indigenous HealthInfoNet webpages on palliative care provides policies and strategies, programs, resources and workforce information relevant to palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Indigenous HealthInfoNet Bibliography provides a searchable database of literature about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

There have been a number of national responses that are relevant to palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These projects and programs can contribute to the care and outcomes of palliative care patients and their families across Australia. You can read about these initiatives in a summary of National Responses.

There is a need for more research on palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially in the areas of models of care and service delivery, family-centred care and the role of culture. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research should be guided by the principle of “nothing about us, without us”. Research opportunities, significance, and success will be greatly enhanced by partnerships between researchers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is a range of research resources that can be accessed by the health care workforce who wish to undertake research work in this field. They include:

• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) provides:
  • Ethical guidelines for research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
  • Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders, and its companion document designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Keeping research on track: A guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about health research ethics.
  • A strategic framework for improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through research.
• The Lowitja Institute provides:
  • a short video Transforming research explaining the importance of research that is led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
  • Research grants
• National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) was established in 2012 under the Special Research Initiative (SRI) for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers’ Network (ATSIRN). Although the program is now coming to a close on the NIRAKN website you can read about some of the research projects undertaken and the people involved.
• Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet provides:
  • Information on funding opportunities relevant to Indigenous health.
• South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) provides:
  • Wardliparingga – Aboriginal research in Aboriginal hands: South Australian Aboriginal Health Research Accord Companion Document. (4.24MB pdf)
• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) provides:
  • Cultural Safety and Self Determination: A necessary relationship..
• Australian Health Review provides:
  • Gray MA, Oprescu FI. Role of non-Indigenous researchers in Indigenous health research in Australia: a review of the literature (277kb pdf). Aust Health Rev. 2016;40:459-65.