Exploring what GP registrars consider distinctive to consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Indigenous Health
• Cultural Safety

Background:

• Bridging the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples requires understanding cultural safety in general practice.
• General Practice (GP) registrars' perceptions of distinctive consultations with Indigenous patients are crucial for aligning medical practice with patient-determined cultural safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore what GP registrars perceive as distinctive in their consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
• To identify potential areas for improving cultural safety training for GP registrars.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study combining surveys and semistructured interviews with GP registrars.
• Survey included demographic data, attitudes, and cultural capability assessments.
• Interviews explored registrars' experiences and perceptions of consultations with Indigenous patients.

Main Results:

• Most GP registrars adopted a generic approach to consultations, applying patient-centered care principles universally.
• Registrars acknowledged the need to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Despite good intentions, registrars did not identify or seek distinctive approaches for Indigenous patient consultations.

Conclusions:

• GP registrars desire to enhance health outcomes for Indigenous patients but do not view their consultations as needing to be distinct.
• The study underscores a gap between the goal of culturally safe practice and the current approach of generic patient-centered care.
• Further development and implementation of cultural safety training are essential for transforming GP registrars' practice in Indigenous health contexts.