Original Article Health professional partnerships and their impact on Aboriginal health: An occupational therapist’s and Aboriginal health worker’s perspective Kerry Hooper, 1 Yvonne Thomas 2 and Michelle Clarke 3 1 Occupational Therapy Department, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Nowra, New South Wales, 2 Occupational Therapy, and 3 Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Abstract Objective: To describe the extent and nature of demon- strated professional partnerships between occupational therapists and Aboriginal health workers in rural and remote communities of North Queensland. The study identifies ways in which professional partnerships improve client services and enhance occupational therapy outcomes through exploring the aspects of communication, collaboration and bridging cultural boundaries. Design: Data collected via in-depth, semistructured telephone interviews. Setting: Aboriginal and mainstream health and human service organisations in rural and remote North Queen- sland. Rural and remote areas were identified using the Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia codes. Participants: Seven participants working in rural and remote areas of North Queensland, comprising four occupational therapists and three Aboriginal health workers. All participants were female. Results: Participants identified five core themes when describing the extent and nature of professional part- nerships between occupational therapists and Aborigi- nal health workers. Themes include: professional interaction; perception of professional roles; benefits to the client; professional interdependence; and signifi- cance of Aboriginal culture. According to participants, when partnerships between occupational therapists and Aboriginal health workers were formed, clients received a more culturally appropriate service, were more com- fortable in the presence of the occupational therapist, obtained a greater understanding of occupational therapy assessment and intervention, and felt valued in the health care process. Conclusions: This study substantiates the necessity for the formation of professional partnerships between occupational therapists and Aboriginal health workers. The findings suggest that participation in professional partnerships has positive implications for occupational therapists working with Aboriginal clients and Aborigi- nal health workers in rural and remote regions of North Queensland. KEY WORDS: Aboriginal health worker, occupational therapy, partnership, rural and remote practice. Introduction The health and well-being of Indigenous Australians has been shown to be among the poorest in the world. 1–3 Overall, Indigenous Australians experience lower levels of access to health services than the general population, are more likely than non-Indigenous people to be hos- pitalised for diseases and conditions, and are more likely to experience disability and reduced quality of life owing to ill health. 1,2 Delivery of health care services to Australia’s Aboriginal people presents major challenges, particularly in rural and remote areas. 4 While rural and remote communities are often serviced by onsite nurses and Aboriginal health workers, very few residents have access to doctors and no direct access to the allied health professions. 5,6 Research suggests that the lack of access to allied health services in rural and remote communities inhibits the development of a multidisciplinary approach to health care, which can contribute to a decrease in sustainability of health. 7 Recently, a model of allied health service provision has been developed to service rural and remote communities in Queensland. The model uses principles of primary health care to meet the needs of 11 culturally diverse remote communities. 5 Correspondence: Ms Kerry Hooper, Occupational Therapy Department, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Nowra, New South Wales 2541, Australia. Email: kerry.Hooper@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au Accepted for publication 14 November 2006. Aust. J. Rural Health (2007) 15, 46–51 © 2007 The Authors Journal Compilation © 2007 National Rural Health Alliance Inc. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2007.00849.x