Eye Health Programs within Remote Aboriginal Communities in Australia: A Review of the Literature

Objective: To review the literature regarding the most sustainable and culturally appropriate ways in which to implement eye health care programs within remote Aboriginal communities in Australia from a primary health care perspective. Data sources: The search included letters, editorials and papers (published and unpublished) from January 1955 to April 2006. Study selection: The search revealed 1 106 758 papers, books and other related material. The relevancy of this material was determined by abstract and 378 relevant articles were reviewed in their entirety. After reading the relevant articles and the interview transcripts the themes that emerged from each source were extracted. Conclusions: The ten areas to consider include: clinical practice and access, sustainability, regional-based programs, information technology systems, health worker training, self-determination, cultural and language barriers, funding body responsibilities, embedding specialist programs in primary care services, and other considerations. Further research needs to be undertaken within Aboriginal communities in the area of primary eye health care and barriers to the acceptance of treatment. This may be undertaken using more interactive research methods such as cooperative and narrative inquiry.