Table 3 Summary of Primary Healthy Networks’ actions on health equity
Health inequity action (from framework by Freeman et al. [17]) | Extent of action by PHNs | PHN examples, evidence basis | Extent of action by MLs [17] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Health equity as a goal of the organisation | High | 71% of PHNs state clear goals for addressing health inequity | High | |
Collect health equity information | Varies | Presence of equity issues in needs assessments varied between PHNs. Some very high. | High | |
Evaluate equity impact of general initiatives | Low | Very few indications of systematic process mechanisms to consider equity impacts of planned strategies | Low | |
Community participation and engagement with communities affected by health inequities | Moderate | All PHNs have a Community Advisory Committee and include community engagement as part of needs assessment and planning, but quality of engagement varies. (Inclusion of people from communities affected by inequities was not systematically assessed, but was evident in some PHNs) | Moderate | |
Plan and enact effective strategies to address inequities: orient local PHC services towards health equity: | Strategies addressing equity of access to local PHC services | High | E.g. on-site allied health services at selected schools, for children who have been identified as developmentally vulnerable and have experienced trauma E.g. funding general practice nurses to maintain recall and reminder systems, to support immunisation, targeting regions or population groups with lower immunisation rates | High |
Strategies supporting access to other health care and social services | Low | E.g. Education, training and resources for primary care providers on appropriate referral pathways for domestic violence | Low | |
Strategies addressing equity in quality of care | Moderate | E.g. facilitating workforce capacity building to support the delivery of culturally appropriate care | Low | |
Plan and enact effective strategies to address inequities: address determinants of local health inequities | Equity-sensitive health promotion campaigns targeting individual behaviour | Moderate | E.g. wellness program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people on nutrition, diabetes and child health E.g. community health literacy program for refugees | Moderate |
Intersectoral collaborations to act on local inequities in living and working conditions | Very low | E.g. participate in a regional child and youth mental health plan addressing (among other things) child protection/family violence E.g. Work with local council to encourage active recreation and active travel | Low | |
Contributions to broader advocacy on social, political, and cultural determinants of health | None | None | ||