Research

Open access  CC BY 4.0

Child health Primary care Respiratory disease
Volume 224 - Published ahead of Issue 10

Barriers and Facilitators to Timely Detection and Optimal Management of Chronic Wet Cough in Aboriginal Children Across Australia From the Perspective of Health Care Providers: A Qualitative Study

Authors:  Gloria T. Y. Lau, Pamela Laird, Robyn Aitken, Melanie Barwick, Liam Bedford, Emily R. Bowden, Corey Dalton, Jamie Everingham, Angela Fuery, Reece Griffin, Neha Jain, Mina Kinghorn, Renae Knapp, Gabrielle B. McCallum, Peter Morris, Richard Norman, Peter C. Richmond, Aarti Saiganesh, Slade Sibosado, Maree Toombs, Roz Walker, Joan Wilson, Anne B. Chang, André Schultz

Correspondence: andre.schultz@health.wa.gov.au

Med J Aust 2026 || doi: 10.5694/mja2.70312
Published online: 30 September 2026
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Abstract

Objective 

To identify barriers and facilitators to the timely detection and optimal management of chronic wet cough (CWC) in children from the perspective of health care providers (HCPs) across primary care clinics providing services to Australian Aboriginal people in multiple, diverse communities.

Study Type

Qualitative participatory action research study.

Setting and Participants

Eight Australian primary care clinics across three states and territories. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 83 HCPs from eight primary care clinics across metropolitan, regional and remote health service settings between May 2021 and July 2023.

Main Outcome Measures

Barriers to, and facilitators of, detection and optimal management of CWC in Aboriginal children in primary care settings.

Results

Key barriers identified included limited condition-specific knowledge, time constraints and competing priorities. HCPs identified key facilitators, such as the need for additional training, educational resources and various modifications to clinic systems. Barriers and facilitators were similar across settings. Proposed solutions varied and were based on several factors, such as community size, availability of existing infrastructure and local preferences. In addition, HCPs highlighted the importance of a culturally secure environment in fostering engagement and communication with Aboriginal families.

Conclusion

Although the barriers and facilitators to the detection and management of CWC in Aboriginal children were largely consistent across settings, solutions must be tailored to each community's unique circumstances. A comprehensive approach is required to overcome barriers and deliver the intervention within a culturally secure framework.

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