The Queensland ORCHID program : Working with Queensland communities to improve health outcomes

The Queensland ORCHID program: a large scale approach to reducing health inequities in regional and rural communities Setting/problem Rural and regional Queensland communities have poorer health status than those living in urban areas. Recent evidence highlights a high prevalence of chronic disease risk factors amongst many rural and regional Queensland communities. These include unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, poor mental health, poor access to health services, alcohol overconsumption and drug use. These needs present an urgent challenge for health promoters to respond in a holistic, equitable, coordinated approach which is locally relevant, locally contextualised and locally appropriate. Here we will discuss the development of a large scale program to coordinate locally relevant planning, implementation and ongoing evaluation of evidence-based health promotion approaches to meet the health needs of Queensland rural and regional communities. Intervention The program is based around four key program questions: 1. What are the enabling factors for Queensland communities to address social determinants of health and build capacity to improve local health outcomes? 2. How can innovation through technology enhance Queensland communities’ access to and implementation of evidence-based approaches around key risk factors and settings? 3. How can the short, medium and long term health outcomes and community capacity indicators be measured, shared and implemented to continuously improve the health outcomes of Queensland communities? 4. How can a coordinated network of Queensland healthy communities be facilitated to connect, learn, share and improve local health outcomes? Outcomes The program’s focus is a whole-of-system, whole-of community approach to identify effective and sustainable plans, programs and policies for healthy, innovative and diverse communities. This program addresses the social determinants of health and is built on principles of evidence, evaluation, scalability and sustainability. It is not about costly externally driven programs: rather about enabling communities to build capacity, translate evidence and implement actions which are locally driven and locally relevant. A partnership approach facilitates working across. A series of tools and resources have been developed including a community readiness tool, capacity building resources, a localised action planning and evidence kit utilising principles of citizen science, sustainability, community development and health promotion. Implications Progressive outcomes from the program will inform statewide implementation to address social determinants of health and reduce chronic disease risk factors with rural and regional communities in an equitable, locally relevant, sustainable manner