Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication

Improvements in Aboriginal health have been slow. Research demonstrates ongoing discrimination towards Aboriginal Australians based on race, including in health services, leads to poor health outcomes. Using an eclectic methodology based on observations and discussions with health practitioners expe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Durey, Angela, Thompson, Sandra, Wood, M.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Blackwell Publishing 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33773
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author Durey, Angela
Thompson, Sandra
Wood, M.
author_facet Durey, Angela
Thompson, Sandra
Wood, M.
author_sort Durey, Angela
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Improvements in Aboriginal health have been slow. Research demonstrates ongoing discrimination towards Aboriginal Australians based on race, including in health services, leads to poor health outcomes. Using an eclectic methodology based on observations and discussions with health practitioners experienced in working with Aboriginal patients, this paper identifies how cross-cultural misunderstandings undermine the quality of care to Aboriginal patients in hospital and offers suggestions for improving practice. It also explores the concept of institutional racism and challenges doctors to reflect on their role in perpetuating power imbalances. We argue that physicians and health care providers need to do more than just deliver evidence-based interventions, by critically reflecting on their own attitudes to and practices with Aboriginal Australians and work collectively to effect systemic change which creates a more inclusive and safe environment for all people accessing health care.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-337732017-09-13T16:07:33Z Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication Durey, Angela Thompson, Sandra Wood, M. communication health care racism misunderstanding Aboriginal Improvements in Aboriginal health have been slow. Research demonstrates ongoing discrimination towards Aboriginal Australians based on race, including in health services, leads to poor health outcomes. Using an eclectic methodology based on observations and discussions with health practitioners experienced in working with Aboriginal patients, this paper identifies how cross-cultural misunderstandings undermine the quality of care to Aboriginal patients in hospital and offers suggestions for improving practice. It also explores the concept of institutional racism and challenges doctors to reflect on their role in perpetuating power imbalances. We argue that physicians and health care providers need to do more than just deliver evidence-based interventions, by critically reflecting on their own attitudes to and practices with Aboriginal Australians and work collectively to effect systemic change which creates a more inclusive and safe environment for all people accessing health care. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33773 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2011.02628.x Blackwell Publishing unknown
spellingShingle communication
health care
racism
misunderstanding
Aboriginal
Durey, Angela
Thompson, Sandra
Wood, M.
Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title_full Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title_fullStr Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title_full_unstemmed Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title_short Time to bring down the twin towers in poor Aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
title_sort time to bring down the twin towers in poor aboriginal hospital care: addressing institutionalised racism and misunderstandings in communication
topic communication
health care
racism
misunderstanding
Aboriginal
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33773