Where and how are oral health services provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? A protocol for a scoping review.
Background:
Access to affordable dental care is difficult for many Australians, particularly people living in rural and remote locations. In New South Wales (NSW), there is a maldistribution of oral health services, with majority in metropolitan areas. This affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of whom majority, 62.6%, reside in rural and remote locations. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a heavy burden of dental disease which is compounded by the limited access to culturally safe oral health care and oral health promotion. Identifying the provision of oral health services for this population within Australia can assist in identifying gaps in oral health services and target areas of greatest need. This scoping review aims to identify where and how oral health services are provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and will explore the workforce models used for these oral health services.
Methods/Design:
The following electronic databases will be searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and CINAHL. Grey literature will also be searched on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet webpage and by conducting an advanced Google search. Reference lists of included articles will also be searched for additional studies. All studies will be screened for inclusion and relevant information will be extracted, analysed and synthesised.
Discussion:
This scoping review aims to identify oral health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. Understanding how and where services are provided for this population will demonstrate gaps in the current oral health service provision for Indigenous Australians. Identifying the workforce models that are used for these services will enable future studies to survey the experiences of the oral health workforce and in turn, highlight barriers and enablers to retaining the workforce in these rural and remote locations. This will assist policy makers to collaborate with Aboriginal communities to provide targeted and culturally safe oral health care. The review will also inform future research on aspects of strengthening and supporting the oral health workforce, particularly in rural and remote locations.
