Prompt

The examiner opens: 'Your practice has asked you to lead cultural safety. Where do you start — and how will you know it worked?' The viva branches through definitions, the health gap, the training evidence, communication, models of care and maternity.

Stem

You are the GP lead. The practice board wants a cultural safety plan. The examiner probes what you would change, what you would measure, and what the evidence says. ^[35]

References17Show

[2]Cass A, Lowell A, Christie M et al. Sharing the true stories: improving communication between Aboriginal patients and healthcare workers. Med J Aust, 2002.PMID 12065009
[4]Ong KS, Carter R, Vos T et al. Cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease in Australia's indigenous population. Heart Lung Circ, 2014.PMID 24252448
[11]McAullay D, McAuley K, Bailie R et al. Sustained participation in annual continuous quality improvement activities improves quality of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. J Paediatr Child Health, 2018.PMID 28833811
[15]O'Donnell M, Taplin S, Marriott R et al. Infant removals: The need to address the over-representation of Aboriginal infants and community concerns of another 'stolen generation'. Child Abuse Negl, 2019.PMID 30769191
[16]Liaw ST, Wade V, Furler JS et al. Cultural respect in general practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust, 2019.PMID 30802313
[18]Wilson T, Zhao Y, Condon J Limited progress in closing the mortality gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians of the Northern Territory. Aust N Z J Public Health, 2019.PMID 31339611
[21]Karidakis M Cross-Cultural Interpreting With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients. Qual Health Res, 2021.PMID 34269124
[25]Dawson J, Laccos-Barrett K, Hammond C et al. Reflexive Practice as an Approach to Improve Healthcare Delivery for Indigenous Peoples: A Systematic Critical Synthesis and Exploration of the Cultural Safety Education Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022.PMID 35682275
[33]Hardy BJ, Filipenko S, Smylie D et al. Systematic review of Indigenous cultural safety training interventions for healthcare professionals in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. BMJ Open, 2023.PMID 37793931
[35]Arnold-Ujvari M, Rix E, Kelly J The emergence of cultural safety within kidney care for Indigenous Peoples in Australia. Nurs Inq, 2024.PMID 38476033
[47]Hayes AG, Pearson O, Marathe CS et al. Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Care, Pharmacotherapy, and Patient Outcomes in Two Regional Aboriginal Primary Care Health Centres: Lessons to be Learnt. Heart Lung Circ, 2025.PMID 40885604
[48]Brown KF, Howard NJ, Paquet C et al. Documenting Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Risk and Disease Within an Aboriginal Cohort. Heart Lung Circ, 2025.PMID 40945960
[51]Williams K, Hamilton SL, Bacon R et al. First Nations families' maternity care experiences in the Australian Capital Territory: Kapati Time Yarning, intergenerational trauma and the case for Birthing with Country. Women Birth, 2026.PMID 41679160
[54]Ahmed M, Wade V, Stacey I et al. Temporal Trends in Acute Coronary Syndrome Incidence in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal People in Western Australia. Circ Popul Health Outcomes, 2026.PMID 41725530
[56]Astawesegn FH, Thapa S, Aychiluhm SB et al. The usual and preferred sources of healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a multilevel analysis. BMC Health Serv Res, 2026.PMID 41981551
[58]van der Breggen A, Leske S, Dean JA et al. Interventions to improve Cultural Safety in healthcare in CANZUS countries: a systematic mixed studies review of First Nations Peoples' experiences. Int J Qual Health Care, 2026.PMID 42092988
[61]Forster DA, Shafiei T, McLardie-Hore FE et al. The effect of culturally tailored continuity of midwifery care on perinatal outcomes for women having a first Nations baby in Victoria, Australia: a prospective non-randomised translational study. EClinicalMedicine, 2026.PMID 42534669

Stem

You are the GP lead. The practice board wants a cultural safety plan. The examiner probes what you would change, what you would measure, and what the evidence says. ^[35]

References17Show

[2]Cass A, Lowell A, Christie M et al. Sharing the true stories: improving communication between Aboriginal patients and healthcare workers. Med J Aust, 2002.PMID 12065009
[4]Ong KS, Carter R, Vos T et al. Cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease in Australia's indigenous population. Heart Lung Circ, 2014.PMID 24252448
[11]McAullay D, McAuley K, Bailie R et al. Sustained participation in annual continuous quality improvement activities improves quality of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. J Paediatr Child Health, 2018.PMID 28833811
[15]O'Donnell M, Taplin S, Marriott R et al. Infant removals: The need to address the over-representation of Aboriginal infants and community concerns of another 'stolen generation'. Child Abuse Negl, 2019.PMID 30769191
[16]Liaw ST, Wade V, Furler JS et al. Cultural respect in general practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust, 2019.PMID 30802313
[18]Wilson T, Zhao Y, Condon J Limited progress in closing the mortality gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians of the Northern Territory. Aust N Z J Public Health, 2019.PMID 31339611
[21]Karidakis M Cross-Cultural Interpreting With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients. Qual Health Res, 2021.PMID 34269124
[25]Dawson J, Laccos-Barrett K, Hammond C et al. Reflexive Practice as an Approach to Improve Healthcare Delivery for Indigenous Peoples: A Systematic Critical Synthesis and Exploration of the Cultural Safety Education Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022.PMID 35682275
[33]Hardy BJ, Filipenko S, Smylie D et al. Systematic review of Indigenous cultural safety training interventions for healthcare professionals in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. BMJ Open, 2023.PMID 37793931
[35]Arnold-Ujvari M, Rix E, Kelly J The emergence of cultural safety within kidney care for Indigenous Peoples in Australia. Nurs Inq, 2024.PMID 38476033
[47]Hayes AG, Pearson O, Marathe CS et al. Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Care, Pharmacotherapy, and Patient Outcomes in Two Regional Aboriginal Primary Care Health Centres: Lessons to be Learnt. Heart Lung Circ, 2025.PMID 40885604
[48]Brown KF, Howard NJ, Paquet C et al. Documenting Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Risk and Disease Within an Aboriginal Cohort. Heart Lung Circ, 2025.PMID 40945960
[51]Williams K, Hamilton SL, Bacon R et al. First Nations families' maternity care experiences in the Australian Capital Territory: Kapati Time Yarning, intergenerational trauma and the case for Birthing with Country. Women Birth, 2026.PMID 41679160
[54]Ahmed M, Wade V, Stacey I et al. Temporal Trends in Acute Coronary Syndrome Incidence in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal People in Western Australia. Circ Popul Health Outcomes, 2026.PMID 41725530
[56]Astawesegn FH, Thapa S, Aychiluhm SB et al. The usual and preferred sources of healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a multilevel analysis. BMC Health Serv Res, 2026.PMID 41981551
[58]van der Breggen A, Leske S, Dean JA et al. Interventions to improve Cultural Safety in healthcare in CANZUS countries: a systematic mixed studies review of First Nations Peoples' experiences. Int J Qual Health Care, 2026.PMID 42092988
[61]Forster DA, Shafiei T, McLardie-Hore FE et al. The effect of culturally tailored continuity of midwifery care on perinatal outcomes for women having a first Nations baby in Victoria, Australia: a prospective non-randomised translational study. EClinicalMedicine, 2026.PMID 42534669

Culturally safe care — structured viva

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Culturally safe care — structured viva

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