About the Theme Bank

Development Team

• UDRH: Professor Judi Walker, Ellen Ennever, Alison Miles
• Rustica Student Club:Dave Lowman, Sara Cameron
• Riawunna: Clair Andersen, Phil Kelly
• Content Consultant: Cheryl Mundy
• Flexible Education Unit
• FHS Reference Group
  

Context

• A well trained health workforce will help secure and sustain health improvements for Indigenous communities.

Purpose

• Develop an Indigenous health theme bank that will provide fully integrated curriculum approaches to ensure all staff and students in the Faculty of Health Science:
  • Recognise Indigenous aspirations regarding health and healthcare, including cultural autonomy and self determination
  • understand the significance of social, environmental, economic and historical factors for contemporary Indigenous health profiles and issues;
  • Develop a coherent personal and professional approach in relation to Indigenous health, which is reflective and informed by understandings about cultural difference, Indigenous history and racism; and
  • Demonstrate their understanding of these issues in their interactions with Indigenous patients and clients, their families and Indigenous health staff, and in their approaches to primary health care.
  Process
• Extensive literature search
• Literature review
• Consultation
• Framework

Outcomes

• Health science students better informed and prepared about Indigenous issues
• Academic staff with increased knowledge and skills of Indigenous health perspectives
• Well developed linkages locally and nationally
  

Outputs Short Term

• Involvement in the Indigenous community in the theme’s development and delivery
• An Indigenous health theme across the FHS through the 2003 Cultural Safety Program
• Opportunities for staff and students to trial different pedagogical approaches
  

Expected Outputs Longer Term

• Integration of aspects of the Indigenous health theme into professional health courses
• Multidisciplinary collaboration amongst the Schools
• A best practice model of integrated and contextualised Indigenous health perspectives into health professional curricula
  

Principles

• Cultural respect
• A holistic approach
• University responsibility
• Community control of primary health care services
• Working together
• Localised decision making
• Promoting good health
• Building capacity
• Accountability
  

Thankyou for using this Theme Bank

For further information contact Riawunna or the University Department of Rural Health at the University of Tasmania.