Indigenous vascular health-bridging the survival gap: strategies for community-based services

The vascular health of Indigenous Australians requires urgent first aid. In concert with improved primary health care strategies, there is a need for improved access to both specialist and tertiary vascular health services. More importantly, these services must be strongly integrated to allow seemless transition in a patient focussed model of care that simultaneously addresses the need for community-based services and transition to frequently remote tertiary facilities. Education and empowerment of local health workers to identify patients requiring primary or secondary prevention and deliver evidence based therapies is as important as the need to evaluate the impact of services on disease burden. It is pivotal to the success of expanded services that clinical support is delivered in conjunction with educational and research programs.