Chronic disease guidelines and the indigenous Coordinated Care Trials.

The establishment of the NT Coordinated Care Trials in 1997 provided an opportunity for the funding and development of detailed guidelines, designed specifically for the Indigenous population, covering screening and clinical management of major chronic diseases. All guidelines were incorporated into the NT Coordinated Care Trials Information System on the Tiwi Islands and in the Katherine West region, and used to generate individual and population care plans. In contrast to what is usually written, a broad range of guidelines can be developed in a relatively short period of time utilising a dedicated multi-disciplinary team and local working groups. Having a receptive service delivery model, such as the Coordinated Care Trials, allows for a high level of uptake and use. The key features were the linking of guidelines to a computerised information system that translated them into items of service and presented them to the clinician at the time of consultation, combined with ongoing education of clinicians and clients.