Northern Territory-based Flinders researcher, Dr Chris Rissel, will use a Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant to evaluate cultural awareness and safety training taking place in the NT’s rural health services.

“Cultural training is required for all new staff and students working in remote and rural health service settings in the Northern Territory,” Dr Rissel explains.

“However, the extent to which cultural safety training programs are valued by organisations, and how well they are implemented, can vary.”

Rural and remote Australians have higher rates of chronic conditions, mortality and poorer access to health services.

In addition, 41 per cent of the hospital in-patient population and approximately 70 per cent of all health service clients in the NT are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

“These health inequities can be reinforced through the intentional or unintentional attitudes and racism biases that health professionals bring to clinical encounters,” Dr Rissel says.

To ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients receive access to culturally safe and responsive healthcare, Dr Rissel’s research will focus on how cultural safety training is designed and delivered in the NT and its impact on professional practice.

Research category: Indigenous Health

Project title: Cultural training models in Indigenous health and impact on health outcomes

Lead researcher: Dr Chris Rissel