Community-built health directories provide essential information, autonomy for people in regional Australia

A few months before turning 25, Amy Smith became nervous as her first pap smear loomed.

“It can be thought of as quite an invasive procedure,” Ms Smith said.

Luckily, she came across Get Papped.

Created by Katie Norbury, Get Papped is an online, community-built directory that lists GPs who have provided a positive cervical screening experience.

The directory — which lists 735 practitioners and has had over 31,000 views — adds a practitioner to the map only if someone from a minority group has visited the GP and felt safe.

Although Ms Smith was doubtful her regional town of Tamworth would have any practitioners in this directory, she was surprised to find two listed. 

Ms Smith said knowing that someone else had felt safe enough to recommend the nurse practitioner made her feel at ease. 

“So much of regional living is word-of-mouth recommendations,” she said.

“I didn’t even have any jitters or nervousness beforehand and I felt really good afterwards.”

‘Sheer lack’ of specialist doctors

Kristiana Pederick, a general practitioner based in Mackay, north Queensland, discovered Get Papped online and was then pleasantly surprised to find her name was already on the practitioner directory.

“I have had a few people come to me from the directory, which is fantastic to hear, and a real compliment to me,” Dr Pederick said.

She said there is a “sheer lack” of health practitioners across regional Australia, meaning people have less choice.

“To have a community-built directory brings power back to the people to take hold of their healthcare journeys,” she said.

Dr Pederick said that whether it is someone seeking gender-affirming care, or a safe practitioner for a pap smear, these directories mean they can avoid being “whisked around from practitioner to practitioner trying to find the care that they so desperately need and deserve.”

Like Get Papped, independent, community directories are easy to find, accessible and encompass a whole range of specialty services.

Gender-affirming services easier to find

Living in regional Victoria, Abbie Clark didn’t know where to go or who to turn to when she first realised she was transgender.

It was only after seeking out a fellow transgender member of the community that she was able to find suitable services.

“It didn’t seem fair of appropriate that it was more of a case of who you knew, not what you knew,” Ms Clark said.

Four years after transitioning, Ms Clark has launched trans.au — an online directory to help transgender Australians find positive and appropriate services near them.

People who have a service to recommend can fill out a form on the website, which Ms Clark then inputs into the system.

Although some states have stand-alone directories for finding doctors and medical professionals, trans.au is nation-wide and encompasses other services.

Ms Clarke said trans people need more than just doctors — some are looking for surgeons, voice training, or an accepting church.

Plus, she said it was harder for regional folk to find the services they needed.

“I’ve never lived in a capital city, so I understand the pain and the struggle of trying to find a service that works for you and then finding out … that service is two hours away,” she said.

Across Australia, transgender people are struggling to access quality healthcare.

One month after it was launched, the trans.au map already has 345 flagged services.