Table 4 First round of draft recommendations
Draft recommendation | Brief explanation/justification | % agreement by panel responses | Number of respondents to Agree/Disagree to the recommendation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1.That Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are consulted in formation of policy | Much of the policy has no mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and the difference in breast cancer outcomes so does not meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. | 100% | 10 | |
2.Screening free and accessible at earlier age | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women more likely to suffer at younger ages than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. | 87.5% | 7 | |
3.That women with symptoms are not discouraged from attending Screening | Current policy is that women with symptoms do not attend screening; however for a group that has under-representation in screening, it is vital that they are welcomed to screening or given a clear alternate pathway via policy. | 100% | 7 | |
4.It is not enough to acknowledge the barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and not address them or provide appropriate solution | Several polices refer to the specific barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, however, there are no official policies to deal with these barriers. | 100% | 8 | |
5.Policy should not be based on assumption of adherence to guidelines by the consumer | One of the policies states : “To be effective on a population basis, a high compliance rate of attendance of women in the appropriate age range for screening mammography is necessary”. | 85.71% | 7 | |