Looking to the future: health curriculum developments
Health Workforce Australia developed a culturally-inclusive, interdisciplinary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework to improve the knowledge and capabilities of all health professionals to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Health Curriculum Framework project was based on Recommendation 23 of the Growing Our Future report (Health Workforce Australia, 2011).
This framework will be integrated into tertiary level health profession training and placements and has been used in the development of 'Cultural Safety for Health Professionals portal', which aims to support teaching health professionals to critically reflect on the concept of cultural safety and to deliver safe, accessible and responsive care.
This change to curriculum will possibly have a similar impact across health professionals as the introduction of the CDAMS Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework has recently had on medical training.
Government initiatives and policies
Allied health students, particularly those on clinical placement within government provided services, may also need to access local, state and/or federal initiatives, policies and/or resources relating to achieving health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to support their understanding and placement experience.
Reference
- Health Workforce Australia (2011). Growing Our Future: the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Project Final Report. Adelaide.
