Indigenous medical workforce development: current status and future directions

Anderson, Ian; Ewen, Shaun; Knoche, D

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02570.x

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Another cause of heavy workloads, staffing shortages, can be partially addressed by improving retention but also by encouraging more Indigenous Australians into health careers [ 8 , 12 ]. Interestingly, the search strategy identified many articles that referred to retention of Indigenous students as they progressed through higher education to become health professionals and identified this as an important part of retention in the workforce.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Barriers to the use of health services by Indigenous people include fear or lack of trust of mainstream health facilities and lack of understanding or respect shown by health care providers [ 5 , 6 ]. This has prompted advocacy for a greater Indigenous representation in the health workforce to improve the cultural security of care and potentially help non-Indigenous clinicians provide more culturally appropriate services [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

Lai

Taylor

Haigh

et al. 2018

IJERPH

108

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Indigenous Australians are under-represented in the health workforce. The shortfall in the Indigenous health workforce compounds the health disparities experienced by Indigenous Australians and places pressure on Indigenous health professionals. This systematic review aims to identify enablers and barriers to the retention of Indigenous Australians within the health workforce and to describe strategies to assist with development and retention of Indigenous health professionals after qualification. Four electronic databases were systematically searched in August 2017. Supplementary searches of relevant websites were also undertaken. Articles were screened for inclusion using pre-defined criteria and assessed for quality using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool. Fifteen articles met the criteria for inclusion. Important factors affecting the retention of Indigenous health professionals included work environment, heavy workloads, poorly documented/understood roles and responsibilities, low salary and a perception of salary disparity, and the influence of community as both a strong personal motivator and source of stress when work/life boundaries could not be maintained. Evidence suggests that retention of Indigenous health professionals will be improved through building supportive and culturally safe workplaces; clearly documenting and communicating roles, scope of practice and responsibilities; and ensuring that employees are appropriately supported and remunerated. The absence of intervention studies highlights the need for deliberative interventions that rigorously evaluate all aspects of implementation of relevant workforce, health service policy, and practice change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

Lai

Taylor

Haigh

et al. 2018

IJERPH

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Thus, throughout the educational journey to medical practice, Aboriginality is constructed as the problem and pathologized. 13 This problematic representation has a long history in Australia 14 – 16 and is amplified for medical students who rarely encounter alternative representations in either their medical education or the wider profession.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 29 An additional approach is to actively work to support and promote Aboriginal academics as senior members of teaching and clinical staff. 12 , 14 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

"Unwell while Aboriginal": iatrogenesis in Australian medical education and clinical case management

Ewen¹,

Hollinsworth²

2016

AMEP

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IntroductionAttention to Aboriginal health has become mandatory in Australian medical education. In parallel, clinical management has increasingly used Aboriginality as an identifier in both decision making and reporting of morbidity and mortality. This focus is applauded in light of the gross inequalities in health outcomes between indigenous people and other Australians.MethodsA purposive survey of relevant Australian and international literature was conducted to map the current state of play and identify concerns with efforts to teach cultural competence with Aboriginal people in medical schools and to provide “culturally appropriate” clinical care. The authors critically analyzed this literature in light of their experiences in teaching Aboriginal studies over six decades in many universities to generate examples of iatrogenic effects and possible responses.Results and discussionUnderstanding how to most effectively embed Aboriginal content and perspectives in curriculum and how to best teach and assess these remains contested. This review canvasses these debates, arguing that well-intentioned efforts in medical education and clinical management can have iatrogenic impacts. Given the long history of racialization of Aboriginal people in Australian medicine and the relatively low levels of routine contact with Aboriginal people among students and clinicians, the review urges caution in compounding these iatrogenic effects and proposes strategies to combat or reduce them.ConclusionLong overdue efforts to recognize gaps and inadequacies in medical education about Aboriginal people and their health and to provide equitable health services and improved health outcomes are needed and welcome. Such efforts need to be critically examined and rigorously evaluated to avoid the reproduction of pathologizing stereotypes and reductionist explanations for persistent poor outcomes for Aboriginal people.

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Indigenous Australians and Higher Education: The Contemporary Policy Agenda

Anderson

2016

Student Equity in Australian Higher Education

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Indigenous medical workforce development: current status and future directions

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

"Unwell while Aboriginal": iatrogenesis in Australian medical education and clinical case management

Indigenous Australians and Higher Education: The Contemporary Policy Agenda

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Indigenous medical workforce development: current status and future directions

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

Factors Affecting the Retention of Indigenous Australians in the Health Workforce: A Systematic Review

&quot;Unwell while Aboriginal&quot;: iatrogenesis in Australian medical education and clinical case management

Indigenous Australians and Higher Education: The Contemporary Policy Agenda

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Product

Resources

About

"Unwell while Aboriginal": iatrogenesis in Australian medical education and clinical case management