Background
Higher cancer morbidity and mortality rates for the Indigenous population compared to the overall Australian population has underlined the critical need to improve access for Aboriginal people to cancer treatment services. This paper describes an Indigenous Women’s Cancer Support Group (IWCSG) established to support Indigenous people with cancer and their carers/relatives and to facilitate Aboriginal access to cancer screening and treatment. Preliminary findings from an evaluation of the group are presented.
Methods
The study employed qualitative research methods to describe IWCSG operations and investigate the group’s effectiveness. It included one-on-one interviews with 11 Geraldton-based health service providers, the IWCSG coordinator, and 10 women who have been linked to IWCSG support, as well as observation of group meetings.
Results
Descriptive outcomes relate to group operations, group effectiveness, group benefits and future development of the group. A cultural strength of IWCSG is its ability to operate confidentially behind the scenes, providing emotional support and practical help directly to Indigenous people concerned about privacy and shame issues. The important cultural role IWCSG plays in overcoming communication and other cultural barriers to accessing cancer treatment was unanimously recognised by health service providers.  Aboriginal women supported by IWCSG spoke about an increased sense of safety, trust and support in accessing and navigating mainstream cancer services. A critical issue emerging from the research is the need for further development of effective collaborative working relationships between IWCSG members and health service providers.
Conclusions
The IWCSG has the potential to inform an effective model for facilitating Indigenous access both to cancer treatment and to mainstream treatment for a variety of health problems. Future research is required to explore the applicability of Indigenous support groups and to focus on the development of effective collaborative partnerships between Indigenous people and non-Aboriginal health service providers.