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Caring for a marginalised community: the costs of engaging with culture and complexity
Author(s) -
Rogers Gary D,
Barton Christopher A,
Lawless Ann C,
Oddy Joy M,
Hepworth Rebecca,
Beilby Justin J,
Pekarsky Brita A
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb07181.x
Subject(s) - human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , primary health care , gerontology , environmental health , nursing , sociology , psychology , family medicine , population
The Care and Prevention Programme (CPP) began in 1998. It is based on the philosophy of primary health care, and has improved health among homosexually active men, including about a third of HIV‐positive South Australians. The CPP was assessed using financial analysis and qualitative methods. Participants wanted to access care where they could feel comfortable and safe to talk about issues of sexuality and lifestyle. The CPP model is “economically” sustainable, but not “financially” sustainable within the Medicare Benefits Schedule. It is vulnerable to changes in political environment. The financing model for the CPP has been adapted by including state funding. General practitioners have adapted by lowering their personal incomes (but not quality of care). These adaptations have achieved fragile financial viability. Facilitators of sustainability for the CPP included: ➢ It is part of the community that it serves; ➢ The creation of deeply integrated networks of diversity‐competent service providers; and ➢ “Virtuous non‐adaptability” of service providers in refusing to compromise care standards despite financial pressure to do so. Threats to sustainability included: ➢ Difficulty maintaining a diversity‐competent workforce skilled in HIV medicine; ➢ Marginal financial viability; and ➢ Political vulnerability.