Cultural barriers to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Mount Isa

Abstract

For Aboriginal patients the focus on interpersonal relationships between themselves and health practitioners is paramount. Creating comforting physical environments and systems that are easier to navigate do assist in overcoming cultural barriers, but are often seen as little more than token gestures if trusting interpersonal relationships are not formed between patient and practitioner.

Decolonizing Indigenous disability in Australia

“…Policies that fund a raft of discrete services rather than a single organization may be regarded as progressive by many in the disability movement but may be contrary to a widespread Indigenous preference for an all-encompassing, Disability & Society 11 community-controlled Aboriginal Health Service (Wolstenholme 1996;Smeaton 1998;Danelutti 2000). The way forward requires equitable and long-term partnerships between Indigenous organizations and disability service providers that can overcome the many obstacles to Indigenous people's accessing of existing services (Kendall and Marshall 2004;McBain-Rigg and Veitch 2011). This engagement requires critical reflection on our own positionality, including 'white privilege', more than the acquisition of cultural knowledge or competence (Dean 2001;Bell 2006).…”

Cultural singularities: indigenous elderly access to Public Health Service

“…In other IT units, the geographical aspect is a major barrier for the elderly to access health services. Although arising from the inevitable aging process, the isolation of some ethnic groups, the rejection of the urban communities, and the low availability of services in the villages are the main barriers that contribute to the limited access of indigenous health services (5)(6)12) . (13) , located in the municipalities of Cândido de Abreu and Ivaiporã -Paraná.…”

The Aboriginal Population Health Training Initiative: a NSW Health program established to strengthen the Aboriginal public health workforce

“…3 One significant issue is the suboptimal engagement of some Aboriginal people with the mainstream health system. 4 This has been linked to a lack of cultural competency in the delivery of health programs and services. 4 As a result, Aboriginal people are more likely to present with advanced and comorbid diseases, contributing to poorer health outcomes.…”

“…4 This has been linked to a lack of cultural competency in the delivery of health programs and services. 4 As a result, Aboriginal people are more likely to present with advanced and comorbid diseases, contributing to poorer health outcomes. 5 Increasing the representation of Aboriginal people in the health workforce can help overcome Aboriginal health inequities by supporting the provision of more culturally appropriate health services.…”