Sick Day Management Plans for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples With Chronic Kidney Disease on the Cape York Peninsula of Australia: Health Workers' Perspectives

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare professionals on the utility of sick day management plans for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in remote communities and collaboratively design a sick day management plan resource. This qualitative study utilised two phases of data collection: preliminary observational data and semi-structured interviews. The research design and analysis were guided by the normalisation process theory (NPT) framework, tailored for complex interventions in healthcare. Three First Nations communities and one remote mining community in Cape York, Australia. In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 primary healthcare workers; 40% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The study identified three themes relating to feasibility of implementation: (1) resource coherence and readability, (2) suitability for integration into the care model and (3) safety and risk associated with sick day management plans. Iterative development of resources followed, incorporating feedback from the participants. Recommendations emerged for enhanced readability and coherence, including further co-design with individual communities and consumers, content simplification, incorporation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artwork and language and a flow chart structure. The study underscores the importance of culturally sensitive resource design and the active involvement of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities in healthcare improvement. Future research should explore cost-effective methods for personalised sick day management plans.