Hitnet Community Hubs provide connection and access to information for difficult-to-reach and digitally excluded populations across Australia. The Hubs enable people to connect to online services, access and share culturally appropriate health and social information.
Hitnet was first utilised by the AH&MRC as a practical tool for services to use through the Head Lice project, whereby relevant content central to the project was loaded onto the Hub and placed in the local AMS for the community to engage with. The local AMS in question has a range of projects and activities which they are enthusiastic to promote to their community through Hitnet. Another Member Service saw the value of Hitnet and included it in a funding grant application. This specific Member was successful in their application and was able to purchase a Hub for their service.
The AH&MRC engages with our Members and their communities in meaningful ways. Through a range of face-to-face, online, workshops, training and collaborations initiatives, we aim to communicate, educate and promote Aboriginal health. These are proven and effective means to connect with and learn from our Members.
Hitnet fulfils a service need of sharing locally generated content and key public health messages with Members, their staff and the wider community. The Hubs offer an effective method for engaging with the community and sharing important educational material in a timely, culturally safe and innovative way.
Each Hitnet Hub is used on average 1,000 times per year, representing purposeful interactions. Hitnet is essentially a one-stop-shop for all health promotion content. The team at Hitnet provide 3 monthly reports which provide reach and engagement metrics for their Hubs. This data can help to assess individual community needs and guide the development of health programs.
The AH&MRC have been able to purchase Hitnet Hubs for Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, Pat Dixon Medical Centre, and Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation. Hitnet Hubs have enabled Member Services to access culturally appropriate health promotion resources and online services.
The Hitnet Hubs are located in Medical Service waiting rooms and provide the perfect opportunistic health education resource, especially for young people. The Hubs have a local channel, providing the perfect medium to advertise local community events and health programs running in the area. The local channel is also an avenue for Members to share success stories and highlight the amazing work that is being done in the community.
Hitnet is an effective way for Members to reach and engage their local communities, especially in remote areas. Through involvement in this project, the AH&MRC has assisted in strengthening the connectedness of the ACCHS sector in the creation and sharing of health promotion content, contributing to improved health, wellbeing and educational outcomes of the Aboriginal community.
Bourke Aboriginal Health Service
For more information on how Hitnet can service your local community please email Julie Gibson, Hitnet CEO and Co-founder – julie@hitnet.com.au or Sam Paulford, Hitnet Operations Manager – samp@hitnet.com.au
