Original Research Chronic condition self-management support for Aboriginal people: Adapting tools and training Malcolm Battersby, PhD, FRANZCP, FAChAM, MBBS, 1,2 Sharon Lawn, PhD, MSW, DipEd, 1 Inge Kowanko, PhD, 1 Sue Bertossa, MMHSc, MSW, 1 Coral Trowbridge, DipCouns, 1 and Raylene Liddicoat, MPH, Dip Nurs (Home & Community Care), Grad Cert in Health (Self-Management), BSc (Nurs) 1,3,‡ 1 Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Flinders University, 2 Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia and 3 Maryborough District Health Service, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia Abstract Problem: Chronic conditions are major health prob- lems for Australian Aboriginal people. Self-manage- ment programs can improve health outcomes. However, few health workers are skilled in self-man- agement support and existing programs are not always appropriate in Australian Aboriginal contexts. Design: The goal was to increase the capacity of the Australian health workforce to support Australian Aboriginal people to self-manage their chronic condi- tions by adapting the Flinders Program of chronic con- dition self-management support for Australian Aboriginal clients and develop and deliver training for health professionals to implement the program. Strategies for change: Feedback from health profes- sionals highlighted that the Flinders Program assess- ment and care planning tools needed to be adapted to suit Australian Aboriginal contexts. Through consulta- tion with Australian Aboriginal Elders and other experts, the tools were condensed into an illustrated booklet called ‘My Health Story’. Associated training courses and resources focusing on cultural safety and effective engagement were developed. Effects of change: A total of 825 health professionals across Australia was trained and 61 people qualified as accredited trainers in the program, ensuring sustainability. Lessons learnt: The capacity and skills of the Aus- tralian health workforce to engage with and support Australian Aboriginal people to self-manage their chronic health problems significantly increased as a result of this project. The adapted tools and training were popular and appreciated by the health care organi- sations, health professionals and clients involved. The adapted tools have widespread appeal for cultures that do not have Western models of health care and where there are health literacy challenges. My Health Story has already been used internationally. KEY WORDS: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, care planning, chronic condition man- agement, self-management, workforce. Introduction Many Australian Aboriginal people live with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular dis- ease, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. 1 Health outcomes can improve when people are sup- ported to take charge of their own health; 2,3 however, few health professionals are trained to provide self- management support. Furthermore, health profession- als often lack skills to engage effectively with Austra- lian Aboriginal people and existing processes and tools are not always appropriate for Australian Aboriginal contexts. 4–6 The Flinders Program is a set of validated, holistic assessment tools and processes that health profession- als use, in collaboration with clients, to develop a com- prehensive self-management care plan. 7,8 It includes the Partner in Health (PIH) scale for clients to assess their self-management capacity, Cue and Response (C&R) tool for health professional and client to explore these issues further, Problems and Goals Correspondence: Professor Sharon Lawn, Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia. Email: sharon.lawn@flinders.edu.au ‡ Current address: Maryborough District Health Service, 75-87 Clarendon Street, Maryborough, Victoria, 3465, Australia. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflict of interests. Accepted for publication 27 November 2017. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12413 © 2018 National Rural Health Alliance Ltd. Aust. J. Rural Health (2018) , –