Theme 5: Equity and Access
Theme Synopsis
Health equity means that every person in a given society has the same chance of living the healthiest life they can. In Australia, although the standards of care and resources available for people living with chronic kidney disease are generally high, they can vary significantly between regions and populations. Geography, age, gender and cultrual background can greatly impact access to treatment and health outcomes. Reducing this inequality has been strongly advocated by patients. This research theme will focus on interventions aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations including children, women, Indigenous people, those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, rural and remote patients and culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Do patient-navigators help improve outcomes for children with chronic kidney disease?
Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds (SES) with chronic kidney disease experience worse health outcomes compared to those with higher SES. Patient navigators help patients and thier families access care by providing coordination services and advocating on thier behalf. NAVKIDS2 will assess whether the use of patient navigators improves outcomes such as health, quality of life and school attendance for children from low SES backgrounds. The study will also determine the cost-effectiveness of using patient navigators and identify barriers to implementing the program. Children and families contributed to the development of the intervention and study design and will be involved in process evaluation, dissemination and implementation.