Cultural Competency, Health Literacy and the NZ Healthcare System: Survey Summary July 2010

Mauri Ora Associates with the Ministry of Health is developing a pilot on-line Cultural Competency training tool, designed to be suitable for the regulated and non-regulated health workforce.

A survey was sent out to approx 2000 contacts comprising two distinct target audiences:

                1)  health workers, both registered and non-registered,

                2)  a selection of social and cultural groups throughout New Zealand. 

The social and cultural group contact information was found via the internet, including religious; ethnic; migrant, community  services and voluntary groups. 

The purpose of the survey was to solicit from the two audiences their knowledge of cultural competency and health literacy as well as its relevance within the health industry.  The health workers had additional questions regarding their preferences with online training format and delivery preferences.   

For more information on Health Literacy visit: Workbase www.workbase.org.nz

For a copy of the Survey Summary:

Best health outcomes for Pacific Peoples: Practical implications

Dr John Adams

Chairperson, Medical Council of New Zealand

 The launch of the Council’s resource booklet Best health outcomes for Pacific Peoples: Practice implications

 Friday, 6 August 2010

 Talofa lava, Kia orana, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Bula vinaka, Namaste, Taloha ni, Halo ola keta Mauri,Kia Ora and Welcome.

 Minister, distinguished guests I would like to thank you all for taking the time to attend the launch of the Medical Council of New Zealand’s resource booklet; Best health outcomes for Pacific Peoples: Practice implications this morning.

 In particular, I would like to extend my own and the Council’s thanks to the Honourable Georgina te Heuheu, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, for her generosity in hosting this morning’s event.

 I would also like to acknowledge and thank Mauri Ora Associates and SAEJ Consultancy, with assistance from Panapa Ehau in researching and writing the booklet.

 Together with the tremendous contribution made by the Expert Advisory Group of: Dr Debbie Ryan, Dr Api Talemaitoga, Ava Fa’amoe, Tose Tuhipa, Metua Falasisila, and Sione Tu’itahi.

 This booklet has it’s origins in the Council’s wish to help doctors meet the cultural competence requirements of the Council.

 Four years ago, with assistance from Mauri Ora Associates, we published a companion document, Best Health Outcomes for Mäori: Practice Implications. Reprinted three times, there are now some 15,000 copies in the hands of not just doctors, but other health practitioners like nurses.

 Research shows that doctors who are familiar with their patients’ cultural heritage are likely to offer improved patient care, making cultural competency ‘essential for high quality healthcare’.

 In New Zealand, doctors who identify as Pacific Islanders make up 1.4 percent of the medical workforce – and its decreasing. By 2026, it is projected that Pacific people will be 10 percent of the population, compared to 6.9 percent in 2006. It is clearly essential that all doctors have some understanding about Pacific Island peoples, their culture and their health issues.

 For the Medical Council this resource is also about recognising the very real disparity of health outcomes for Pacific people compared with other New Zealanders.

 Together we need to address these disparities.

For a copy go to the Medical Council New Zealand website: http://www.mcnz.org.nz/portals/0/publications/Best%20health%20outcomes%20for%20Pacific%20Peoples.pdf or click on the download button:

Māori & Pacific Attitudes Towards Transplantation: Professional Perspectives

October 2009

A report commissioned by the Ministry of Health for Renal Services

National Renal Service Improvement Project

Honoa te pito ora ki te pito mate

Graft the live shoot to the ailing shoot

Historically, a kumara shoot that appeared to be struggling would have another shoot planted in the same mound.  In the context of this discussion, the proverb refers to the grafting of a healthy kidney to support a failing kidney, thus promoting such a practice as tikanga Māori.

This report provides a summary of renal departments’ experiences of working with Māori and Pacific people on transplantation, with a brief summary of renal departments’ views on the reasons for the observed disparities.

The report describes the clinical teams’ attitudes and their perceptions of their Māori and Pacific patients’ attitudes in making decisions about transplantation and provides advice to renal departments and the Ministry on working with Māori and Pacific communities, on attitudes to transplantation, and on developing educational resources to support that work

He Pukapuka Reo Hauora Māori

Dr David Jansen has published a Māori medical phrase book called “He Pukapuka Reo Hauora Māori”.  This resource is designed to assist health professionals when working with whānau.

For your copy email us or print an order form and fax/post to us.

He Ritenga Whakaaro

Negative experiences put some Māori off using health services

According to the findings of a survey, a significant proportion of Māori have such negative experiences of health services that they say they are less likely to access medical care when they need it.

The survey - Māori Experiences of Care: He ritenga whakaaro – was undertaken by Mauri Ora Associates with funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Ministry of Health and the Accident Compensation Corporation. He Ritenga Whakaaro: Maori experiences of health services