Essential Service Standards for Equitable National Cardiovascular CarE for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People - An Exemplar Approach to Closing the Gap

Background: The Essential Service Standards for Equitable National Cardiovascular CarE for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ESSENCE) provide a systematic, policy-targeted approach to addressing inequities in cardiovascular health care based on sound evidence and consensus. The ESSENCE Measurement Indicators were developed to establish a comprehensive set of measures to monitor key processes and outcomes for reducing disparities, and are a key foundation stone for full implementation of the standards. In South Australia (SA) an assessment of performance against the ESSENCE Measurement Indicators was undertaken as an exemplar. Method: 11 national and South Australian datasets were accessed. Where there was available data, analysis was undertaken against the 43 ESSENCE Measurement Indicators. Where possible, non-Aboriginal comparison was undertaken. Results: 28 of the 43 ESSENCE Measurement Indicators were able to be reported against. These included measures of risk factor burden, activity and quality of primary, acute and secondary care, and cardiovascular outcomes. In primary prevention, 15% of Aboriginal people received adult health assessments. Aboriginal people were 60% more likely to be hospitalised for a cardiovascular disease (age-standardised). However, Aboriginal people were less likely to receive evidence based care. Conclusion: There are clear disparities in burden of disease and quality of care provided to Aboriginal people in SA. The outcomes are contributing to the development of a framework of state-wide reform that could provide more equitable care and reduce disparities in cardiovascular disease for Aboriginal people.