Communities worldwide are experiencing the grim reality of increasing numbers of pandemics, wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, storms and floods, often with multiple events occurring simultaneously. These disasters place a significant burden on health systems, which need to manage the inevitable increase in demand for their services while providing ongoing education to trainees and students. In this commentary, we explore learning through the challenges posed by disasters, including the influence on medical students' sense of duty to care and the intertwined concept of volunteering, and the importance of adaptability. To do so, we will draw on two articles from this issue of Medical [...]

Background Pelvic health conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men are under-recognised and under-reported despite indication of the significant burden of these conditions. Access to effective management provided in a culturally safe manner appears lacking. The study aims were to: (1) summarise the burden of pelvic health conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; (2) explore barriers and enablers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples accessing pelvic healthcare services; and (3) provide considerations on how to implement culturally safe pelvic healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods This study involved a systematic [...]

Introduction Meaningful involvement of people with lived experience is an invaluable approach to education that facilitates the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for collaborative, compassionate and person-centred healthcare practice. The purpose of this evaluation was to gain health professional educators’ perspectives of an online learning resource that presents the lived experiences of people who have been consumers of the Australian mental health system. Methods A cross sectional study design was used to survey educators who had registered to use the online education resource. Data were collected using an online survey and follow-up interviews. Two lived experience researchers were involved [...]

Background Effective communication between health care clinicians and Aboriginal patients is critical to delivering high quality, accessible, culturally secure health care. Despite this, ineffective communication is a well-documented barrier, and few studies have reported interventions to improve communication. Clinical Yarning is a patient centred communication framework for Aboriginal health care. Building on this framework, this study reports the development and evaluation of a Clinical Yarning education program. Methods A Clinical Yarning education program was developed, underpinned by the principles of cultural security and adult learning, informed by a behavioural skills approach. The program was delivered in five health/education settings in [...]

Background Inadequate healthcare access and utilisation are implicated in the mental health burden experienced by those living in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Facilitators that better enable access and utilisation are also reported in the literature. To date, a synthesis on both the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services within the rural Australian context has not been undertaken. This scoping review aims to (1) synthesise the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services in regional, rural, and remote Australia, as identified using the Modified Monash Model; and (2) better understand the relationship between [...]