Staff and Student Perspectives of Rural Indigenous Health Service-Embedded Dental Clinic Outplacements

With a view to improving experience outcomes, this section of a broader 2019 study heard dental clinic staff perspectives on student preparedness to undertake student-led rural Indigenous clinical outplacement and staff views on students' skills development during outplacement, including communication and cultural safety training. Additionally, outplacement participants were canvassed on social and economic implications of their outplacement attendance and on the specific learning environment.

All eligible university staff supporting the rural Indigenous health service-embedded dental clinics voluntarily participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Coded content analysis of interview transcripts identified relevant themes and summarised staff perspectives. Current dental students and recent graduates who had attended rural Indigenous outplacements voluntarily participated in a post-outplacement online survey (29/71, 41% response rate). Survey data were stratified by groups and responses described using summary statistics, frequencies, and percentages.

Staff considered students adequately prepared for technical clinical aspects. Participants improved non-technical communication skills and gained important first-hand culturally safe practice knowledge. Greater prior awareness of Indigenous culture among future students would enhance patient connection and build community trust. While student survey responses indicated economic burden and limited social connectivity were detractors needing to be addressed by educators, a strongly positive learning environment defined the experience.

Considerable community oral health benefit and positive student personal and educational outcomes stem from rural Indigenous health service-embedded dental clinic outplacements. Results further justify model sustainability and argue positively for university measures promoting culturally safe professional practice and for addressing student economic burden.