Webinar: How to encourage patients to do a bowel screening test

Professor Gail Garvey, Dr Brad Murphy and Peggy Manton-Williams presented this webinar on Wednesday 22 November 2017 to give health professionals skills, knowledge and confidence to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients to participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP).

This expert panel discussed:

• bowel cancer, why bowel screening is important through the NBCSP and Indigenous participation in the NBCSP;
• barriers to screening, building confidence and motivating health professionals to bring up the topic of bowel screening with their patients;
• what new resources are available; and
• details around what is planned as part of a National Pilot to trial an Alternative Pathway to bowel screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2018.

Watch the webinar now.

About the presenters

Professor Gail Garvey leads the National Indigenous Bowel Screening Project, an Australian Government funded project to improve participation rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Gail is Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research. Gail is currently leading two large national grants including a National Centre of Research Excellence in Cancer and Indigenous People; and a Cancer Council NSW Strategic Research Partnership Grant, aimed at improving the outcomes in cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Gail has played an important role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer research nationally and internationally, and has been instrumental in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and key stakeholders to identify and address cancer research priorities. Gail has an impressive record that spans many years in building capacity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, researchers, and health professionals.

Dr Brad Murphy is a GP and Services Director Clinical/Medical at the Indigenous Wellbeing Centre in Bundaberg with an interest in chronic disease management

Dr Murphy was recognised as Indigenous Doctor of the Year in 2016 by the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association. A Kamilaroi man from north west NSW, he has a passion for Indigenous health care and actively seeks opportunities to participate in the promotion and enhancement of health care and social justice circumstances facing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Peggy Manton-Williams is currently the Team Leader for the Community & Allied Health Team at the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care at Inala in Brisbane.

Peggy is a Kamilaroi Yinnar (woman) from Goondiwindi in Queensland. Peggy has worked in various positions within Queensland Health since the mid 1980s. She started her career as a nurse where she observed first-hand the racism in the hospital system and decided to focus on improving Indigenous health. Peggy then undertook a degree in Indigenous Primary Health Care and then postgraduate studies in Drug and Alcohol. Peggy worked for many years in health promotion and primary prevention.

Would you like to brush up your bowel cancer and bowel screening knowledge prior to the webinar? Our online module for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and other health professionals can help.