How does education fit into the provision of culturally safe healthcare?

The provision of a healthcare system which is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples requires a commitment from a range of groups, including higher education and training providers.

By making cultural safety a key element of healthcare programs, higher education and training providers have the opportunity to contribute to the creation of a future health workforce with the capability to provide culturally safe healthcare for all Australians.

These groups also have the ability to improve the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples within the healthcare sector through programs and pathways designed to recruit and retain Indigenous students.

The Australian Dental Council (ADC), Chief Executive Officer, Narelle Mills sat with Professor Roianne West, Dean, First Peoples Health Unit, Griffith University, and member of the accreditation standards review working party to discuss the role higher education and training providers play in producing a health workforce that is culturally safe.

Learn more in the video below.

Cultural safety and the health outcomes of Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Māori and Pacific Peoples is one of the key focus areas of the ADC during the review of the ADC/Dental Council (New Zealand) (DC(NZ)) accreditation standards for dental practitioner programs (the Standards). Proposed updates to the Standards aim to ensure education and training programs produce graduates with the ability to provide culturally safe care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

The consultation period for the proposed changes to the Standards is open until 5pm AEST, Monday 20 April 2020. To learn more about the proposed updates to the Standards and provide your feedback, click here.

The ADC is committed to keeping you updated on its work throughout the accreditation standards review. Announcements will be made on the ADC website as information becomes available.