Seldom heard voices: a meta-narrative systematic review of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples healthcare experiences

Benjamin Jones, David Heslop, Reema Harrison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: It is well established that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations face considerable health inequities, exacerbated by poorer healthcare quality. Patient experience is recognised as a major contributing factor to healthcare quality and outcomes, therefore, enriched knowledge of the patient experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is critical to redress health inequities. This review synthesises evidence of the healthcare experiences amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients through a metanarrative synthesis of qualitative literature.

Methods: A systematic search strategy was developed and applied to six electronic databases between January 2000 and July 2019. Titles and abstracts were screened before applying the inclusion criteria to full text articles. A meta-narrative synthesis was undertaken.

Results: Fifty-four publications were identified from four research traditions; each with a unique conceptualisation of patient experience. Three themes emerged that demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient experiences are informed by 1) beliefs about wellbeing and healthcare provision, 2) their level of trust in the healthcare system, and 3) individual and community health system interactions. The findings highlight a range of aspects of patient experience that were important to participating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the included studies but not captured currently in health system surveys.

Conclusion: This review highlights the influence of beliefs about health and wellbeing on the patient experience amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in the Australian health system. Patient experiences were informed by past experience and their trust in the health system. The different factors influencing patient experience and the gravity of their influence must be considered in current approaches to capturing patient experience data collection methods.

Trial registration: PROSPERO (ID: CRD42019134765).
Original languageEnglish
Article number222
Pages (from-to)1-11
Number of pages11
JournalInternational Journal for Equity in Health
Volume19
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2020. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

  • Patient experience
  • Health services research
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  • Indigenous

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