Ascending the Poutama: culturally responsive diabetes care for Māori communities

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) significantly impacts Māori populations in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) who experience health disparities including suboptimal disease management.

To explore culturally responsive approaches to supporting Māori living with T2D from the perspective of healthcare providers.

Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians from various disciplines (general practitioner, podiatrist, exercise physiologist, three kaiāwhina, dietitian, two pharmacists); five clinicians identify as Māori, four as non-Māori. Kaupapa Māori inductive thematic analysis was used.

Four key themes emerged: empowering patient-centred communication, whānau involvement, interprofessional collaboration, and culturally appropriate analogies.

The findings underscore the need for holistic, culturally responsive T2D care that prioritises culturally appropriate communication to improve patient engagement, health outcomes and address Māori health disparities.