The Cultural Safety initiative is committed to fostering equity and inclusivity in healthcare by addressing the specific needs and experiences of Māori (and other underserved communities) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our focus is on ensuring that healthcare professionals provide culturally safe care, which means creating environments where patients feel respected, understood and valued.
Cultural safety goes beyond cultural competency. Cultural competency involves learning about different as[ects of someone else’s culture, but cultural safety requires healthcare providers to critically reflect on their own biases and the power structures that exist within healthcare settings. This approach empowers practitioners to create more inclusive and equitable care experiences for all patients, especially those from marginalised communities.
Our key initiative has been the development of a teaching framework for cultural safety training in vocational medical education, with a focus on promoting health equity for Māori. By partnering with healthcare organisations and education institutions, we aim to promote the embedding of cultural safety practices into everyday healthcare, ensuring long-term systemic change.
Through research, education, and collaboration, the Cultural Safety project strives to make healthcare more equitable and responsive to the needs of all people in New Zealand, particularly Māori. We believe that by embracing cultural safety, we can create a healthcare system that is fair, inclusive, and truly supportive of every individual’s well-being and the well-being of whānau and communities.
The Cultural Safety in Healthcare research papers provide valuable insights into how cultural safety can transform healthcare delivery by promoting equity, dismantling systemic barriers, and improving patient care. Each paper explores key aspects of cultural safety, such as engaging with Indigenous perspectives, addressing power dynamics, and fostering equity in healthcare settings. Explore the links below to read the full papers and gain a deeper understanding of the practical implications of cultural safety in healthcare.
This training plan outlines a framework for integrating cultural safety into vocational medical training programmes, focusing on health equity for Māori and underserved populations. It provides guidance for medical colleges to develop cultural safety training that supports Māori health equity and practitioner competency.
This report addresses the underrepresentation of Māori in vocational medical training and provides recommendations for improving cultural safety in training programmes. It examines cultural safety education in medical training, identifying best practices to support Māori practitioners.
This study explores how the Choosing Wisely campaign can address health inequities for Māori by promoting shared decision-making and culturally safe care. It examines Māori perspectives on patient autonomy, trust, and advocacy in healthcare decisions.
This study explores how the Choosing Wisely campaign can address health inequities for Māori by promoting shared decision-making and culturally safe care. It examines how implementing Choosing Wisely through an equity-focused approach can improve Māori healthcare experiences and outcomes.
This paper advocates for a shift from cultural competency to cultural safety in healthcare, focusing on addressing power imbalances and institutional racism to achieve health equity.