Building Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Education and Cultural Mentoring Capacity

In 2012 General Practice Education and Training commissioned the University of Western Sydney, who subcontracted with Urbis, to conduct research aimed at developing the evidence base to support training in cultural competence for doctors working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This research is aimed to inform a proposed National Framework for Cultural Competence in Prevocational and Vocational General Practice Training. Letters of support for the research were provided by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and its affiliate organisations and ethics approval was received from the Human Research Ethics Committees of the University of Western Sydney, New South Wales Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, Northern Territory Department of Health and the Menzies School of Health Research as well as the Central Australia Human Research Ethics Committee, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee and Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee. The research was framed at all times by the research outcomes and research questions developed by General Practice Education and Training Cultural Educators and Cultural Mentors and reflected in the contract between General Practice Education and Training and the University of Western Sydney.