Cultural safety and racism

Abstract

Cultural safety and racismWhy do we need to think more about racism?Racism is increasingly recognized as a determinant of health. 1 The health impacts of racism are evident in all areas of medical care and surgery is no exception.The aim of this paper was to review and evaluate the types and impact of racism on healthcare. An outline is offered of racism and racial discrimination progressing to the role of institutional leadership acknowledging cultural safety as a key concept. Finally, the importance of transformative change through education, training and regulatory compliance in delivering equitable healthcare to the vulnerable needs to be acknowledged.There are a variety of definitions of racism. 1 The analogous term of racial discrimination is defined by the Australian Human Rights Commission as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect or nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. 2

Understanding surgical disease and care for Māori in Aotearoa: protocol for a scoping review

“…In addition to this, RACS has implemented cultural safety and competence as a 10th core competence. The aspiration is that if surgeons and surgical trainees undergo cultural safety training, this may alleviate systemic racism and other forms of discrimination in surgery 10. In the most recent Māori health action plan, six priority areas have been proposed including Rangahau Māori (research and development) which describes ‘using Kaupapa Māori methodology to undertake research that is beneficial for Māori and increases understanding of Te Ao Māori and mātauranga Māori’ 11.…”

The Surgical Sisterhood – The Experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika Aspiring Surgeons

“…Improving cultural safety in health is a key goal for RACS who has recently instituted cultural safety and cultural competence policies to begin addressing ethnic health inequities (Ronald et al, 2020). Cultural safety focuses on individual healthcare professionals and related organisations acknowledging and addressing their own biases, attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices that may contribute to the inequitable delivery of healthcare (Rashid et al, 2021; Curtis et al, 2019). However, how these policies are being implemented and whether they have been effective, is not yet known.…”