Last week it was an honour to present an abstract poster presentation in Perth at the CRANAplus conference.
The title of the abstract was ‘The Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub Model of Care’ which detailed the early results which have been achieved in setting up a men’s health centre in an Aboriginal Controlled Community in very remote Western Australia.
I think many men and boys would like to have a healthcare clinic which was designed with them in mind. A clinic where men feel welcome, where discussions with a GP, nurse, social worker etc are not time-limited nor feel rushed.
Our clinic is a bit of fun also- we have a pool table, a BBQ, a television usually showing football or fishing shows and a coffee station. Perhaps this can’t be replicated everywhere, but as our results highlight- we had an increase in men’s presentations and engagement (133%!) in just 12-months.
My belief is that when we truly co-design men’s facilities with local males in our communities, we can shape new ways for healthcare delivery.
Below is the abstract in full;
Background
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men care about their own health and the health and wellbeing of their families. However, across almost every health index, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have higher morbidity and mortality rates compared to any other sub-group in Australia.
The Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub is located in Warburton, a remote (MM7) township in the Gibson Desert of Western Australia on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. The intention of the Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub is to deliver a one-stop-shop of clinical services to males over 15-years, in addition to a range of male psychosocial, FDV and wellbeing programs.
Methods
Extensive community consultation in 2023 by the Ngaanyatjarra Council formulated the Ngaanyatjarra Heath Service Strategic Plan 2022-2027, a key aspect of which, was the community desire for moremen’s specific programs to address unmet health and social needs.
The purposeful employment of men’s health nurses and male Yarnangu staff supported the co-design of the Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub Model of Care.
Results
Preliminary data analysis revealed that in the 12-months following the Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub Model of Care commencement, male episodes of health care improved (compared to the previous year) by 133% (342 vs 800) and total engagement by males across all health services in Warburton improved by 3.70%.
Conclusion
The Wati Pirniku Men’s Hub Model of Care is the first of its kind across the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and provides a strong framework for how male gender-responsive healthcare is delivered. The marked increase in episodes of care over the course of only 12 months would speak to future opportunities within the Ngaanyatjarra men’s health space.
