The Organisational Cultural Competence (OCC) study: Describe, measure and improve organisational approaches to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a tertiary healthcare setting.

This project aimed to describe and provide recommendations for organisational approaches to better meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a large tertiary hospital in South East Queensland. It employed a combination of mixed-methods and participatory approaches to describe the “current state” of organisational cultural competency, as it relates to staff reported efforts to respond to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Study findings are based on data from a document analysis of policies and procedures, routinely collected clinical data, an online staff survey (n=350), and qualitative staff interviews (n=30). The data collection period broadly occurred between October 2018 and January 2020, and did not focus on the work being done through the Birthing in Our Community program and maternity as this is covered extensively elsewhere (Hickey et al. 2018).

 

The 94 page report includes 25 recommendations across key five themes:

Demonstrate strong organisational commitment through a comprehensive strategic approach and facilitated change management

Systematically integrate consumer engagement and feedback in service planning and delivery at all levels

Provide culturally safe care and a welcoming environment

Develop training resources and organisational support for a culturally competent workforce

Harmonise documents, implement and monitor initiatives to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status in patient records

This study was funded by Mater Research and Charles Darwin University.