Document Type

Report

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Place of Publication

Perth, Western Australia

Comments

Rudd, C., Sim, M., Hayward, C., & Wain, T. (2013). Creating cultural empathy and challenging attitudes through Indigenous narratives. Perth, Australia: Edith Cowan University.

Abstract

The poorer health status of Indigenous Australians has been largely attributed to social disadvantage and their marginalisation within mainstream society (Marmot, 2011). This includes access to health care, as well as proximity to health services, availability and cultural appropriateness of health services, transport availability, health insurance, the affordability of health services and patient proficiency in English (AIHW, 2011).

The interpersonal attitudes and behaviours of non-Indigenous health providers, both conscious and unconscious, are also known to contribute to disparities in treatment, impairment of communication between health providers and patients, and consequently, patients’ mistrust of the health system due to negative past experiences (Geiger, 2001).

This project collected stories from Indigenous people about their experiences with health care services. Their stories serve to enhance relationships and understanding between diverse peoples, and give Indigenous Australians a voice in health curricula across Australian universities and in agencies delivering health services.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Share

 
COinS