Using Citizen Science to Address Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure with Aboriginal Communities in the Far West of South Australia: A Protocol

Out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOPHE) significantly impacts people with chronic and complex diseases (CCDs) and injuries. Aboriginal communities experience a higher burden of CCDs and injury, along with greater OOPHE inequities. This project aims to develop and implement a social prescribing digital platform (Web App) to reduce OOPHE. It is grounded in citizen science approaches that value the lived experience and knowledge of Aboriginal people in shaping solutions. The project uses a citizen science methodology adapted for these communities, using knowledge interface methodology to weave together Indigenous and Western knowledges. Research methods (Indigenous, quantitative, qualitative) explore the relational nature of OOPHE risks and protective factors through co-design and workshops with Aboriginal participants to develop the Web App. A community-centric developmental evaluation guides the trial and refinement of the platform, allowing for ongoing learning and adaptation. Process measures inform a national scale-up and evaluation framework. Addressing OOPHE is essential to improving health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and families living with or at risk of CCDs. This initiative aims to reduce the impact of OOPHE through digital social prescribing, there by connecting people with essential community services to access healthcare, offering a scalable approach to addressing health inequities nationwide.

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Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Published
2025-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22111640
Primary Topic
Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Using Citizen Science to Address Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure with Aboriginal Communities in the Far West of South Australia: A Protocol

Claire Drummond, James Andrew Buchan Smith, Jaquelyne T. Hughes, Jonathan D. Karnon et al.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
article

Using Citizen Science to Address Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure with Aboriginal Communities in the Far West of South Australia: A Protocol

Claire Drummond, James Andrew Buchan Smith, Jaquelyne T. Hughes, Jonathan D. Karnon, P C Sharpe, Marlien Varnfield, Karla Canuto, Andrew Goodman, Billie Bonevski, Odette Pearson, Julieann Coombes, Candice Oster, Lavender A. Otieno, Ray Mahoney, Courtney Ryder, Alì Soltani, Shanti Omodei-James, Georga Sallows
article en

Abstract

Out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOPHE) significantly impacts people with chronic and complex diseases (CCDs) and injuries. Aboriginal communities experience a higher burden of CCDs and injury, along with greater OOPHE inequities. This project aims to develop and implement a social prescribing digital platform (Web App) to reduce OOPHE. It is grounded in citizen science approaches that value the lived experience and knowledge of Aboriginal people in shaping solutions. The project uses a citizen science methodology adapted for these communities, using knowledge interface methodology to weave together Indigenous and Western knowledges. Research methods (Indigenous, quantitative, qualitative) explore the relational nature of OOPHE risks and protective factors through co-design and workshops with Aboriginal participants to develop the Web App. A community-centric developmental evaluation guides the trial and refinement of the platform, allowing for ongoing learning and adaptation. Process measures inform a national scale-up and evaluation framework. Addressing OOPHE is essential to improving health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and families living with or at risk of CCDs. This initiative aims to reduce the impact of OOPHE through digital social prescribing, there by connecting people with essential community services to access healthcare, offering a scalable approach to addressing health inequities nationwide.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthVol. 22(11)
Flinders University (AU), UNSW Sydney (AU), Health Sciences and Nutrition (AU), The George Institute for Global Health (AU), Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health (AU), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (AU), Community Partners (US), The University of Adelaide (AU), University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
National Health and Medical Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 61%
Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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