My people have the worst health outcomes on this continent. There was a time when we were the healthiest people. Sadly, today, we are at the mercy of the health system.
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Indigenous health is rightly on the national radar as governments and health experts work to close the gap, with too many people still falling through the cracks.
Closing the gap is a good strategy to improve the health of my people, and there is some movement. However, it is painfully slow. If there was a genuine commitment to implement the commitments among all three levels of government, not only will this improve the health of my people and their communities, but it will also allow us to forge a path towards equity and inclusion.
There's no doubt digital technology is changing how we care for our health. It has the potential not only to provide cost-effective services for underserved populations, but also be a gamechanger for communities, particularly in regional and remote areas.
With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 1.5 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-Aboriginal Australians, the Heart Research Institute is embarking on ground-breaking research to help close the gap when it comes to cardiovascular diseases like stroke.
A pilot study through the institute's Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research, working with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, is working to monitor the heart health of 100 First Nations people using wearable technology to identify risk factors and encourage people to take a greater role in their own healthcare.
By wearing a watch that monitors the heart rate and blood pressure, patients will be able to learn about and better understand their own health status. At the same time, it will assist health professionals to better manage people's care, especially for those who might have additional risk factors.
While only 100 people will take part in the trial, there's no doubt it will spark vital health conversations within households and communities about asking for a pulse check, which could save more lives.
The irregular heartbeat condition atrial fibrillation is a leading cause of stroke, yet the half a million Australians unknowingly suffering from atrial fibrillation is projected to increase by 150 per cent over the next four decades, leading to a sharp increase in stroke and heart failure.
Atrial fibrillation claims the lives of six Australians every day and costs the national economy more than $1.25 billion. Aboriginal people experience higher levels of atrial fibrillation and at an earlier age.
But there's an easy fix to at least one major problem, and it's as easy as a pulse check.
It sounds very basic because it is. It's such a simple way of identifying a problem like an irregular heartbeat, which can be fixed before it causes a debilitating stroke and becomes a life-threatening issue.
A 30-second pulse test needs to be part of routine healthcare for Aboriginal people in particular, but it's not. And that's a missed opportunity that costs lives.
Life-saving screening is available for people over 65, but that's often too late for Aboriginal people. The age for standardised testing needs to be lowered to 55 as a minimum.
We all have a role to play in our own health by asking for a pulse check. And we all have a role to play in helping to close the gap.
Checking every pulse, every time, is the ultimate goal.
- Associate professor Uncle Boe Rambaldini is with the Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research at the Heart Research Institute.
