LIMECONNECTIONV - LIME Network

Cultural considerations for clinical practiceAuthor:Monica Lawrence, Senior Lecturer, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Well-Being, Flinders University,South AustraliaAbstract:A quality improvement action research project was established to evaluate whether Aboriginal peopleliving in remote areas, needing to travel to a major metropolitan teaching hospital for life saving cardiacsurgery benefit from improved arrangements around their journey from community to hospital and returnto community. A qualitative case study design examined Aboriginal patients’ experiences of what is waslike to travel from their homeland to hospital and return to their homeland after major life saving cardiacsurgery. The analysis showed that the concept of Indigenous health and wellness is strongly underpinned bypsychological health, traditional values and spiritual beliefs.With a clearly documented history of ill health compounded by co-morbidities, the ability for the Indigenouspatient to understand their illness is severely impacted by their remoteness, access to education and limitedaccess to primary health care initiatives. In addition, the research analysis showed that remote area Aboriginalpatients who were not psychologically prepared for travelling vast distances for cardiac surgery were likelyto suffer a loss of cognitive control, which can lead to delayed recovery, post-operative complications andincreased length of hospital stay. This presentation details the use of such case studies to enhance thelearning experience of medical students. Case studies are increasingly being used in Indigenous medicaleducation to present social, cultural and historical imperatives, as well as drawing on real life scenarios.Presenter:Monica LawrenceFlinders University, South AustraliaMonica Lawrence has specialised in cardiac nursing and, more specifically in the area of Aboriginal peoplefrom country accessing tertiary hospital care. Her Master of Nursing research project documented theexperiences of remote area Aboriginal people referred to hospital for cardiac surgery, and she developed thecardiac pathways from Top End Northern Territory communities to Flinders Medical Centre, to ensure qualityand safety of care across cultural and geographical jurisdictions. Monica has worked across the metropolitanregion of Adelaide in Aboriginal health, policy and workforce development and recently accepted the positionof senior lecturer with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Well-Being at Flinders University, SouthAustralia. She has recently undertaken further study through a Doctorate in Public Health, investigatingclinical systems change for improved access to health care for Aboriginal people.46