Glossary
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific primary health care organisations: Primary health care organisations that provide primary health care services mainly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They include Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), state and territory managed organisations, Primary Health Networks and other non-government organisations.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO): An organisation operated by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and controlled through a locally elected board, to deliver comprehensive, holistic and culturally appropriate health care to their communities. ACCHOs vary in size and composition, from large organisations with several medical practitioners who provide a range of services, through to small organisations that rely on nurses and/or Aboriginal Health Workers to provide most services.
Aboriginal Medical Service/Community Clinic (AMS/CC): See ACCHO/IAHP.
General Practitioner (GP): A medical practitioner who provides primary comprehensive and continuing care to patients and their families in the community.
Indigenous Areas (IAREs): Medium-sized geographical areas used to report data about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous Areas are one of 3 levels of geographic units within the Indigenous Structure of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). Indigenous Areas are aggregates of one or more Indigenous Locations. In ASGS Edition 3 (2021), 412 Indigenous Areas are defined to cover the whole of geographic Australia (excluding non-spatial special purpose codes).
Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme (IAHP): A program established by the Australian Government on 1 July 2014 that consolidated 4 existing funding streams: primary health care, child and maternal health programs, Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory (Health), and programs covered by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Chronic Disease Fund.
mainstream GP: A GP who does not work for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific primary health care organisation.
primary health care: Services delivered in many community settings, such as general practices, community health centres, Aboriginal health services and allied health practices (for example, physiotherapy, dietetic and chiropractic practices) and which come under numerous funding arrangements.
primary health care provider: A health care practitioner who provides primary health care, such as a general practitioner (GP) at general practices, a nurse or a dentist.
primary health care services: Services delivered by primary health care providers that aim to keep people well physically and emotionally (promote good health) as well as to identify and manage illnesses, injuries and chronic diseases when they arise. See also primary health care.
unmet need: A need that exists when a person needed/wanted to use a service but were unable/did not access that service.